Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears
by Dragon of Mystery
Summary: When Cynder can't bear the pain of her past, she traps herself in her own personal Hell, the ever-misty town of Silent Hill. And she's about to discover, escaping is going to be the most difficult thing she's ever done. But she will, even if it kills her. Or so she thinks. I do not own anything, except my custom monsters. Enjoy (Diabolical Laugh)
1. Prologue

**Hello, my fellow writers. I regret to inform you that due to several large events coming up, The Return of Malefor is delayed for an unspecified amount of time. But for now, I have a tale to tell you. A terrifying story of a town of nightmares and a dragoness plagued with guilt and fear. I am here to announce my newest tale, Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears. Yes, the first of many crossovers I intend to do. This is just an announcement; the real story will come afterwards.**

 **For now, I have a few announcements. Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears is going to be my secondary story, a project that's been in my mind for the longest time. Now here's the big project. I am doing a series of crossovers in the universe of mysteries I finished a while ago. Spyro, Cynder, Ember, and Flame are coming back and teaming up with famous figures in popular culture. The list of stars includes such notable names as Nathan Drake, Robin the Boy Wonder, and many more! Let me explain how this works. If you've ever seen The New Scooby-Doo Movies, it's a similar concept. This should get started before August, depending on when I finish my other projects. Now, without further ado, I give you Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears**

Dragon of Mystery Presents

A New Horrifying Tale

Starring Cynder, the former Terror of the Skies

Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears

(Enjoy the show)

It's a dark and stormy night near the Silver River. The storm is at its worst over a familiar structure, the Dragon Temple. It has been five days since Spyro saved Cynder from the Dark Master's control, and he's slowly regaining his strength. But deep within is a sound that drowns out the storm from within, the sound of tears.

The sound is emanating from a black dragoness of no more than 15. It is Cynder, the very dragon Spyro saved not too long ago. You see. Before she came to the temple, she was under the control of the Dark Master for ten long years. She was known as the Terror of the Skies in those frightful years, and thousands met the Ancestors by her hands. To this day, she still sees the dreadful actions in her nightmares.

Cynder: (Through her tears) It's all my fault. I can't bear this pain much longer.

As you can tell, Cynder's been through a lot. Every time she left the temple, which was rarely, everyone in the area held her as a psychopathic murderer, a killer, and she believed them. She knew she had killed those poor innocent souls. But Spyro continued to defend her, saying she wasn't in her own mind at the time, but nobody would believe him. Truth be told, not even Cynder herself believed him half the time. She had contemplated ending it all multiple times, but Spyro saved her every time. But as she cried herself into sleep, not even Spyro would be able to save her. No, this is Cynder's personal hell she's about to trap herself in. And she's about to find getting out is going to be the hardest thing she's ever done.


	2. Welcome to Silent Hill

**Hello again, my readers. Welcome back to Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears. When we left off, Cynder had just gone to sleep, and now, things are about to get worse for her, as she wakes up. Enjoy the show.**

As we enter the stage, we can't see much, since the entire area is shrouded in a thick fog. Eventually, a form emerges from the fog, as Cynder wakes up from earlier.

Cynder: (Rubbing her head as she wakes up and notices the fog) Where am I? And what's with all this fog, I can't see a thing!

Cynder takes a few steps forward into this nightmare of a town, not really knowing what's forward.

Cynder: (Spots something) What's that? (Takes a few steps closer) Oh, it's a sign of some sort! Maybe now I can figure out where I am. (Takes a few steps closer again to read the sign) "Welcome to Silent Hill." Huh. That still doesn't answer where I am though.

Just then, Cynder spots someone in the distance, somebody familiar to her, and to us if we know.

Cynder: Spyro? What are you doing here?!

"Spyro" notices Cynder is here and runs, which is very out of character for him.

Cynder: Where are you going, Spyro? Wait up!

Cynder gives pursuit to the figure she thinks is Spyro, and then winds up outside an alleyway

Cynder: Of course, a creepy old alleyway. Is this some kind of joke!?

Now things are starting to get creepy, once Cynder enters the alley, the figure she thinks is Spyro disappears, and she has no indication he was even there, except for an open gate.

Cynder: (Reading the sign on the gate) "Beware of Dog"? What dog?

Suddenly the alleyway morphs into something strange, and yet familiar to Cynder.

Cynder: (Realizes where she is) Wait a minute, this place looks familiar. Could it be?

As the gate blows in the slight wind, Cynder enters the morphed alleyway, and sees something that still horrifies her to this day. Her first victim, still intact but cold as the grave, with a message written on the nearby wall, apparently written in the victim's blood by a steady hand.

Cynder: (Reading the wall) "This is the fate of those who refuse the Master's word as law." Oh no. I was right after all. (Looks down at the body) Why couldn't I have been wrong this time!?

Just then, the victim's corpse appears to move, pointing at her.

Victim: (Through raspy, quiet breaths) Murderer…

Cynder takes notice of the corpse moving, and talking to her, causing her to step back in fear.

Victim: Murderer…

As the victim continues to speak to her, Cynder is too scared to speak, literally gasping for breaths, as something odd happens. The blood from the victim's hand disappears, but then reappears, on Cynder's palm.

Cynder: What? What's going on?! Why is this happening to me!?

Victim: You killed us… And now you will burn…

Just then, the victim finally dies as the skies darken.

Cynder: Okay, this place is officially getting to creepy for me! I'm getting out of here!

Cynder opens the gate behind her and runs, just runs, not even realizing she doesn't really know where she's going.

Cynder: Wait, I kind of need to see where I'm going in order to escape. (Spies something on the ground) What's this? (Picks up the box) A box of matches? This should be better than nothing I guess.

With the strike of a match, Cynder can finally see where she's going, and continues walking forward, until she arrives at something that shouldn't be in this alleyway.

Cynder: What the…? Why is there a gurney here? (Notices a trail of blood leading further back) Oh great, more blood. Why not?

Cynder follows the blood trail, and at its end, something horrifying awaits, an pair of intact corpses strung up on a barbed wire fence.

Cynder: Oh god, what kind of demon town is this!?

Just as she says that, things get horrifying, as the corpses' eyes open, and they start screaming in terror, getting bits of barbed wire wrapped around their limbs and faces before breaking free and landing on the ground, still alive!

Wirelings: Murderer!

Cynder can do nothing but scream in terror as these barbed wire creatures pursue her to no end, until she ends up cornered and blacks out before these monsters can kill her.

 **Okay, things are getting creepy now! And now you've been introduced to my first custom monster, the Wireling, the corpse of one of Cynder's victims with barbed wire added for good measure. I hope you're enjoying thus far. And one more thing, if you feel like drawing forth some sort of vision as to what the Wirelings and other monsters look like, you have my permission, just credit me. Thank you for reading, and we'll see you later.**


	3. Origin of Poison or A Quest Beginneth

**Hello again, readers. I am SO sorry I haven't updated in so long, personal projects, college, and a couple of other personal issues have gotten in my way of finishing Cynder's Tears. But on the up side, while all that happened, I got ideas. A lot of ideas. I know where this story's going now. And nobody is going to see it coming. The only familiar thing will be the last scene. Just so you know, this will not be as long as a usual Silent Hill game, however long that may be. And there's going to be no ally characters. That's something I don't like about Silent Hill games, this is supposed to be the character's own personal hell, they should have to get through it on their own. So that's my plan. Now, without further ado, let's go.**

We return to the story as Cynder awakens, spared by the wire-beasts for some odd reason.

Cynder: (Groans a bit, then notices she's alive) What? I could have sworn those things would kill me. Why'd they let me live?

Cynder gets up and starts walking around the nightmarish town, not encountering any other life forms, not even those wire-beasts from before.

Cynder: Okay, now I'm really scared. What's going on here?

As Cynder walks around Silent Hill, she notices the first of a very repetitive set of symbols: three sickly green drops.

Cynder: What on earth? (Stares at the symbol a little longer) This looks… familiar. I know I've seen it somewhere before.

Just then the symbol starts glowing a sickly green, and emits an aura of sickly green light.

Cynder: What's happening?!

The symbol just glows, and after walking only a few steps away, Cynder notices in a puddle of water, that her irises, (the part of the eye that shows eye color), are glowing the same sickly green.

Cynder: Okay, this is really getting weird! What is happening to me!?

In her nervousness, Cynder starts to wretch, and suddenly her exhaled breath becomes green globs of a poisonous substance.

Cynder: Alright, that was just strange.

Then, out of nowhere, a pack of those strange barbed wire-beasts spring into attack mode!

Wirelings: MURDERER! DIE MURDERER!

Cynder tries to fight them off, but ends up backed into a corner, more specifically right up against the symbol from earlier, and it's power is shown in full now, as when Cynder tries to scream, her cries become the poisonous substance from earlier and hit the wire beasts, killing them almost instantly.

Wirelings: Thank you...

Cynder: Alright, that was just messed up.

Cynder leaves the area, and eventually her irises stop glowing. After walking around for a few more minutes, she spots "Spyro" again.

Cynder: Spyro! What's going on here?

"Spyro": Four powerful guards surround her tomb; her king guards the door. Unleash her power, if you dare, and your fears will be no more.

Cynder: Spyro this isn't funny! What are you talking about?! Where am I?! What's going on!?

"Spyro": Trapped in a land of biting cold, the queen's first guard does sleep. Disturb his rest for the Galvanic Key, and frozen tears you will weep.

And with that, "Spyro" disappears into the mist yet again.

Cynder: What are you talking about?! Come back!

Cynder attempts to pursue the one she thinks is Spyro, but to no avail.

Cynder: Forget it, he's got too much of a head start.

After that, Cynder continues to walk around this strange town, until she gets an idea.

Cynder: Hold on, maybe what he said will give me a clue. Let me think. The only other person I know exists here is this mysterious queen Spyro mentioned. Maybe she has a clue? Or there is one in her tomb. Maybe these guards can help. And what's this Galvanic Key? I guess the tomb is locked and I need a key to get in. But why Galvanic? Well, Galvanic is a term used to describe something relating to electricity. Now where do I find this guard? "Trapped in a land of biting cold" … No, it couldn't be.

And just as she says that, a cold breeze suddenly emerges as the road ahead takes on a very familiar appearance.

Cynder: Dante's Freezer.

And thus, with fear and determination in her heart, Cynder set off to find this guard, and the mysterious Galvanic Key, little knowing what lies ahead of her, as Silent Hill becomes Dante's Freezer, somehow.

 **And with that, I bring this chapter to a close. And yes, what I showed earlier was the origin of the Poison Element within Cynder in this universe. No, I don't believe this is how it happened in canon, I have a whole other theory about that. Anyways, this quest thing I've started is exactly the thing I thought of in between updates. And don't worry, once we enter Dante's Freezer, new monsters are going to be coming. I plan to release three monsters in each area with one boss to go with them, and the bosses are… special to say the least. Anyways, we're back after quite a long while, so keep an eye on this tale for the next update. Same time, Same channel, Same horror. Until next time…**


	4. Dante's Freezer

**Welcome back. When we left off, Cynder had decided to find a mysterious "queen" spoken of by Spyro, discovering the first key to her location was in a chillingly familiar place, Dante's Freezer. Now our story continues…**

As the biting winds of Dante's Freezer blow, Cynder attempts to make her way through.

Cynder: (Shivers) I thought I'd never have to come back here. The cold is even more evident than I remembered.

Cynder continues through the sheer cold environment, but then she spots a couple of snow piles. As she approaches them, Cynder brushes off a bit of the snow, revealing they're some of her old victims, having been tortured in the snow and dying of frostbite.

Cynder: Poor souls. I almost forgot I did this to these poor people.

As Cynder moves away from the frozen corpses, some of them start moving slowly, snapping joints out of place and slowly icing over, many of them growing ice over their teeth.

Frostbiters: So cold…

Cynder: (Hearing this) Oh god!

Frostbiters: So cold…

All Cynder can do is run, but eventually these frozen beasts catch up to her and attempt to bite Cynder with their icicle teeth. Cynder can only outrun them for a few moments, but then as she brushes snow off a stone with those same sickly green drops from before, allowing her irises to glow sickly green again and she spews poison at the frozen beasts

Frostbiters: Thank you…

The frozen creatures melt away, finally warmed from their eternal cold.

Cynder: What on earth? (Sees the poison on the ground and then sees the symbol again) That's the same symbol from before! Okay, I think I'm starting to get it, I can only use this new poisonous ability when these symbols are nearby. Better keep an eye out for that.

Cynder continues her trek through Dante's Freezer, occasionally finding a pack of those frozen beasts from before and either running away from them or fighting them off with her odd poisonous powers. But then, she comes across a scary moment of her past, a lot of victims frozen together.

Cynder: (Shudders) Why did we freeze them together?! That's just sadistic!

Cynder can't even stand to look at the gruesome scene without vomiting, but just then the frozen bodies start moving again, breaking free from their icy prison. It's just a mix of each person's body parts strapped together with frozen metal spikes, and their heads are even sewn together

Twinsickles: So cold…

Cynder notices the incredibly freakish monsters, and can only scream as there's no poison symbols nearby. So all she can do is run, but then she does find one. And after a couple of poison attacks, they have very little effect, but do eventually manage to melt them.

Twinsickles: Thank you…

Cynder: Thank you? Why are they…? (Realizes it) Oh… I get it.

Amidst the biting cold, Cynder continues on through this strange replica of Dante's Freezer, but eventually things appear… odd, as more of traditional Silent Hill starts to peak through.

Cynder: (Notices what appears to be an apartment building in the snow) Wait a second, I don't remember that being there last time I was here. (Notices a few more buildings) Or any of those… What is going on?

As Cynder continues through this odd version of Dante's Freezer, we eventually arrive at a door to an old fortification.

Cynder: This is the place. Volteer's old prison should be nearby.

Just as Cynder enters the place, the walls come to life, as the battered fortification collects in the snow and ice with the remaining victims in the area, creating a giant monster with giant slabs of ice for fists, fortification cannons on its shoulders, and two of the victims for eyes

Double Zero: Cold-blood… Cold-blood… (Notices Cynder) MURDERER!

Cynder can only stare up in fear at the frozen monster, but manages to move just before it tries to crush her with a giant hand of ice. Cynder continues to run from this monster as it tries to crush her at every turn.

Double Zero: Cold-blooded…. Cold-blooded!

As Cynder runs, the monster fires the cannons on its shoulder, sending a massive projectile into the ground, which causes an avalanche that reveals a large poison symbol, and the glow from its activation blinds the monster.

Cynder: Now that's what I'm talking about!

Cynder rushes over towards the symbol, and starts attacking the beast, but to no avail. Then however, she sees the monster's weak spot, the entrance to the fortification. All she has to do is deliver a hit to it and the doors will fly open, breaking the monster apart

Double Zero: Blood of snow, Heart of Ice, MURDERER!

Cynder: Hope this works!

And with that, Cynder flips through the air, accidentally coating herself in poison and lands right on the creature's back, breaking through the door, causing the monster to collapse in on itself, aside from its head for one final speech

Double Zero: Heart of Ice… melting…

And with that, the creature is dead and Cynder is trying to get the venom off herself and eventually does by plunging herself into a snowbank.

Cynder: That was… interesting.

And with that, the mountain parts, revealing a door, a very familiar door, the door to where Volteer was once kept, but it looks… different somehow

Cynder: Here we go. If that guard and this Galvanic Key are anywhere here, it's going to be there. (Notices how odd it looks) Wait, why does it look like a school? Okay, this is just weird. But I've got to press on.

And with that, Cynder steels her determination and enters the building, not knowing what lies beyond.

 **And with that, we end today's work. And if you were wondering, the "school" Cynder is seeing is Midwich Elementary School from Silent Hill 1. I hope you all have a Happy New Year and here's hoping I update more regularly in 2017. With that, I will see you around. I am planning a huge update tomorrow, as I plan to welcome in the New Year. So, what is Cynder about to find? You'll see, tomorrow.**


	5. In Cold Blood

**Hello everybody, welcome to my big New Year's Eve update! Tonight we will be adding a big section to the story, well it may not be big lengthwise, but you get the point. When we left off, Cynder was about to enter a hybrid of Dante's Freezer and Midwich Elementary School. Let us continue**

We see the door open to this odd frozen place and then, Cynder enters.

Cynder: (Noticing the scenery) What on earth? Why does this place look like a school?!

(In the distance we can hear groaning)

Volteer: My head…

Cynder: Volteer?!

Hearing Volteer's voice, Cynder rushes through the building, but eventually she arrives at an impasse with an army of those frozen beasts from long earlier, though they just ignore her.

Frostbiters: So cold…

Twinsickles: So cold…

Just then, a booming voice can be heard, calling out to the frozen beasts.

"Spyro": Subjects! The dragoness is the one who ruined you in life. Bring me her head and the queen will reward you!

And with that, the frozen beasts turn their eyes towards Cynder

Frostbiters: MURDERER!

Twinsickles: MURDERER!

Cynder: You've got to be kidding me.

The frozen beasts then start to rush at Cynder, but since she can't use those poison powers of hers, she can only run, and run she does. She runs through this strange place, throwing desks, chairs, and anything she can find at her pursuers, trying to throw them off of her. But alas, it doesn't work for long and the creatures catch up with her.

Frostbiters: DIE!

Twinsickles: DIE!

Cynder: (Backed against a wall) I'm doomed.

Just as the monsters are about to catch and kill her, but then something odd happens. All of them snap into a trance.

Frostbiters and Twinsickles: We obey…

And that's it. The creatures just… leave. No explanation, they just snap into a trance and leave, not to be seen again, or so we think. More on that later.

Cynder: Please don't kill me! (Notices what just happened) What on earth?

Volteer: Ah… my head!

Cynder: Never mind that!

Cynder searches the room for some sign of where Volteer is, but then she finds it, a giant door leading to the room where Volteer is

Cynder: Here goes everything.

The brave young dragoness steels her determination, takes a deep breath and opens the door revealing Volteer collapsed on the floor, with the ruins of the Ice King around him, his sword mere inches from being in his head.

Cynder: Volteer!

Volteer: Thank goodness, I thought nobody would… (Recognizes Cynder) Oh, it's you.

Cynder: Of course it's me. I heard you and came to help.

Volteer: You? Help? HA! How could you help anyone!? Your heart is as cold as this frozen wasteland you trapped me in!

Cynder: I swear I wasn't even in control of my actions at the time! You know Malefor brainwashed me!

Volteer: Really? Because you sure looked like you enjoyed every horrible action you committed! And besides, even if you were, YOU COULDN'T DOO ANYTHING AGAINST YOUR MORALS! In short, scientifically, YOU WANTED TO DO THIS!

Cynder: No!

Volteer: Science doesn't lie, Cynder! You are a monster, you always have been, and you always will be! There's no changing what you were born as!

Cynder: I… I…

Volteer: QUIT TRYING TO DEFEND YOURSELF! YOU ARE A MURDERER!

Cynder: Please, I know what I've done was unforgiveable, but I take full blame for it.

Volteer: GOOD! (Observes a brief glimpse of hope on Cynder's face, and then cranes his neck 180 degrees to look at her) But don't think that taking responsibility is going to save you!

Cynder: What happened to your neck!

Volteer: (Cranes his head upside down) Don't think I've forgotten what you did to me. Now rather than wait for the courts to handle you… I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!

As Volteer with his head upside down starts to laugh and his face starts to twitch with incredible speed, the Ice King's armor, shield, and sword, along with a lot of ice in the area, form into something horrific. The armor roughly jams itself into Volteer's body, the shield takes up permanent residence in his torso, contorting the old Ice King's horned helmet into a ramming weapon, but then with Volteer's head stuck upside down, all of his bones broken, the Ice King's sword jams itself into his brain.

Cynder: Oh my!

Cold Blood: PREPARE TO DIE!

The monstrous creature that was Volteer attempts to stab Cynder with its icicle-esque spider legs, but Cynder dodges, and then spots something.

Cynder: That symbol again!

Cynder rushes over towards that symbol and as her eyes glow green again, the creature that once Volteer notices this

Cold Blood: What are you doing?!

Cynder: Defending myself!

Cynder starts breathing globs of poison at what was once Volteer, doing a lot of damage, but then she does that odd flipping move from before.

Cold Blood: No longer!

The thing that was Volteer stabs down on the spot where Cynder stood destroying the symbol. But as that happens, the energy rushes from the broken sign and into Cynder

Cynder: Wait, what just happened?

Just then, the thing that was Volteer attempts to stab her again, but Cynder hits his leg with Poison in its purest form, evoking a cry of pain from her opponent

Cold Blood: What is this burning?!

Cynder: The power of Poison! Evidently.

Cynder continues to pull off the same flip move from before and hits this monster repeatedly. But this thing can take a hit! And then Cynder realizes what to do.

Cynder: The sword!

Cold Blood: No!

Now realizing what she needs to do, Cynder back flips up onto the creature's head and starts yanking at the sword, and eventually it is removed, but surprisingly isn't bloody, probably due to Volteer being so cold that his blood is frozen. As the sword is removed, this creature slowly dies

Cold Blood: You monster… Nobody will ever forgive you…

Eventually, the monster fades away, and Volteer returns

Volteer: Know this Cynder… I forgive you… Thank you…

And with that, Volteer fades away leaving only the sword behind.

Cynder: That was… strange. And why is the sword still here? (Realizes it) Oh, this is the Galvanic Key!

Now things are starting to get strange, the cold that is Dante's Freezer fades away, and Cynder finds herself standing in a gymnasium.

Cynder: (Realizes this) Where the heck am I?! (Reads one of the banners) Midwich Elementary School? Okay, this is strange.

And as mysteriously as this happened, an exit door flies open on it's own, and Cynder, not even bothering to question it, just leaves, not knowing "Spyro" is watching.

 **And with that, we have the New Year's update finished. I managed to stick in a boss battle of sorts. And this is the format for all the bosses, or at least the first few. They will be the Guardians crossed with the boss from their area from A New Beginning. Now there's only going to be six bosses, and here we have one. Cold Blood, the fusion of Volteer and the Ice King. Keep your eyes peeled for more. So, what does the Galvanic Key unlock? What is going on here? You'll see. I plan to take a little break soon, given that I'm starting my second semester of my first year of college soon. I'll edit as often as I can though. But in the meantime, Happy New Year, and I'll see you in 2017.**


	6. The Crossroads

**Well, I bet you didn't expect me to update this again. I know, it's been ages since I updated this story. Don't worry, I didn't abandon it for good. I just needed to rethink where it was going for a few minutes, then I ended up taking about 15 months. But don't worry, Silent Hill Cynder's Tears resumes today, and everything resumes.**

As Cynder leaves the room dragging the Galvanic Key, otherwise known as the Ice King's sword, she suddenly notices where she is.

Cynder: Wait a second… (Turns around and realizes this is where she started) Did I just go in a loop? (Realizes she had to have) Great. Now I've been going in circles!

This is when a strange green aura, that same green aura that gave Cynder the ability to use Poison, encompasses the area as Cynder's eyes glow green to match.

Mysterious Voice: (In a calming manner) You once poisoned yourself, now your foes will feel your sting…

Cynder: (Soothed but still freaked out) Okay… what just happened?! Who was that?! (Tries to re-enter the Dante's Freezer zone, but can't) Hope I didn't leave anything of importance in there.

Suddenly, the mysterious figure resembling Spyro appears again.

Cynder: (Noticing the figure) Spyro, what is going on here?!

"Spyro": The Galvanic Key has been claimed, the frozen guard has been maimed.

Cynder: What are you talking about?!

That is when "Spyro" vanishes, yet again.

Mysterious Voice: Rest the Key at the crossroad. It will release some burden from your load.

Cynder: What on earth are you saying?!

Before Cynder can get an answer, the voice fades.

Cynder: Of course. Now what was that about? (Thinks about it for a minute, then realizes what the voice meant) Wait… "Rest the Key at the crossroad." (Stares ahead and sees four intersecting roads, including the one she just came from) I can just leave the Key here?

With skepticism in this mystery voice rampant, Cynder drops the Galvanic Key at the crossroad, and somehow the sword is magnetized to the ground, as evidenced when Cynder tries to pick it up.

Cynder: Yep, that's definitely not going anywhere.

With the Key in a safe place, Cynder wanders the seemingly abandoned main street and tries again to figure out exactly where this mysterious "Silent Hill" really is. Surprisingly those strange wire creatures are seen, but seem to ignore her, instead running away in fear.

Cynder: This town is really starting to freak me out…

And that is when, yet again, the ever illusive figure appearing to be Spyro resurfaces.

Cynder: Spyro, I swear if I don't get some answers, I'm going to…!

"Spyro": Three remain around her tomb. Face them if you dare. Seek them if you are brave at heart, else interloper beware.

Cynder: Will you quit talking in riddles!?

"Spyro": Locked in a land lush and green, the second guard does rest. Claim from him the Frigid Key, else your will he will best…

And just like before, "Spyro" vanishes again.

Cynder: Great, more riddles. (Thinks a moment) However, if the last one proved a clue, this one might as well. Let me think. (Thinks a moment) I've got to get back to that crossroad.

Cynder then begins running, making her way back to the place where she left the Galvanic Key, and once she returns, she finds the key is safe.

Cynder: Phew, that was close. Now if my theory is correct…

And that's when Cynder looks to her immediate left, directly across from the Dante's Freezer entrance, and spots exactly what she thought would be there.

Cynder: "A land lush and green." Of course it's Tall Plains. But how… Never mind, now's not the time to figure it out.

And thus, Cynder moves into Tall Plains, curious as to what's going on… as the mysterious "Spyro" watches on.

 **A short chapter for a quick return. I now plan to come back to this one since my Dark Multiverse saga is nearing a momentary end. Don't worry, that will still get updated. After the next chapter there I'll post an explanation as to the current plan. But here is the plan for this story. Expect this as a regular Sunday update. In other words, until this story ends I am beginning what I like to call Silent Hill Sundays. So starting on this upcoming Sunday expect a new chapter. And with that, I will see you on the 11th…**


	7. Origin of Fear

**It's time everybody… Welcome to the first Silent Hill Sunday. Last time, Cynder began the second leg of her journey, into what appears to be Tall Plains, but still Silent Hill. You'll understand more in a minute. In the meantime, let's begin and see what monsters arise here…**

Despite the lush and green appearance of Tall Plains, all Cynder sees is the blood staining this place. Odd since subsequent rains should have washed physical stains away.

Cynder: Everyone keeps telling me this place is beautiful, especially in Spring. But all I see is the blood spilled here. (Thinks a moment) Hold it. Why is there still blood here? Surely it's rained in the past year.

But then, on the side of a tree, Cynder appears to spot some sort of electric torch.

Cynder: What on earth is that and why is it on the side of a tree? This place is weird… and creepy.

After a few minutes of walking, and dread memories, we see a few of Cynder's previous victims, hanged by and wrapped up in vines in the trees.

Cynder: By the Ancestors. Poor souls…

As Cynder tries to move past, the corpses in the trees begin to move, slowly but steadily untangling their green prisons, snapping joints out of place in the process, and soon one drops to the ground, but Cynder doesn't know that yet.

Vinewrapper: Hang… hang…

As the creature crawls up behind her, Cynder somehow still does not notice, rather focusing at a mossy ruin built into the cliffside.

Cynder: That's odd. I don't remember this being here before. And yet, I think I know it somehow. (She brushes the moss off of it and sees what looks like her skull) What on earth? (Examining the stone) This looks like those Poison sigils in that weird school from earlier. (Now sees the wall is not a natural cliff face, but rather a wall of some sort of building) Okay, what is going on here?!

Vinewrapper: Hang… hang…

Now at last, Cynder actually hears something, turning around to see the corpses suspended from the trees have reanimated, and are now attacking her!

Vinewrapper: HANG MURDERER!

These vine creatures throw their extended nooses at Cynder, slowing pulling themselves towards her. As Cynder screams in terror, the sigil activates, glowing a muted red, and turning Cynder's irises the same. Then as she screams again, the scream turns to pure muted red energy, emerging with such force it shakes the vines right off the corpses, including the ones around their necks.

Vinewrapper: Thank you…

Cynder: (Noticing the sigil) Okay, it definitely is some kind of power sigil. But what was that? Some sort of sound power? I'll figure it out later.

With those vine creatures dealt with, Cynder continues on, into an area where her Ape soldiers had set up a series of turrets.

Cynder: (Noticing the old turrets) Now I remember why we came here! This place was rich in peat moss, which could be made into gunpowder! That makes sense.

That is when we notice a few more of Cynder's old victims, not hanged by vines, but used for target practice.

Cynder: (Remembering these people) Oh god, and now I remember how we tested the gunpowder. Now I wish we never found that stuff.

Now unbeknownst to Cynder, the corpses on the wall have broken down their vine restraints but are still peppered with carbonized holes, and are slowly making their way towards her.

Living Target: Hang… hang…

While Cynder gets her bearings, she slowly realizes this replica of Tall Plains is built on something else, seeing some of the turrets replaced with that skull sigil from before, and others with what we know as hospital gurneys…

Cynder: Okay, this is just getting strange.

That's when one of the corpses from the walls knocks away a gurney behind Cynder, causing her to realize what's going on.

Cynder: Holy…!

Living Target: MURDERER!

Cynder doesn't even stop to think about what's going on, she just runs, runs until she is cornered against what appears to be a hybrid of a couch and a stone wall, only to realize she's standing on a sigil.

Living Target: DIE MURDERER!

The fear in Cynder's breathing is evident, but before long the sigil and her irises glow that same muted red color, and she lets out a fearsome scream, sending them backwards, and destroying the monsters chasing her.

Living Target: Thank you…

Cynder: (Notices she's standing on a sigil, then starting to calm down) Okay, I think I get this now. It's not sound, it's Fear. As in the more scared I am, the stronger it gets. That somewhat makes sense…

After walking for a few more minutes, Cynder arrives at a familiar area, more so than the rest that is, particularly an isle off in the distance.

Cynder: The Shrine. That's where Cyril was kept. If what happened to Volteer holds true here, that's where I need to go.

And with that, Cynder presses on, little realizing what dangers await her…

 **And that seems like a good place to call it a day. And here we have two more of my custom monsters, Vinewrappers and Living Targets. You'll meet the third, the mini-boss, next Sunday, and the overall boss of this level the week after that. Now you may be catching on as to where Cynder really is, the gurneys give it away. But don't forget, Silent Hill canonically has three hospitals. So which one are we in? You'll see, next week. Same time, same channel, same horror. See you then…**


	8. Tall Plains or Wrath of the Atlawa

**Welcome once again to Silent Hill Sunday. Last time Cynder had just made her way into this nightmarish fusion of Tall Plains and one of Silent Hill's hospitals. Which one? You'll see today as Cynder takes on the mini-boss of this "level". Let's get back into it…**

After a few more minutes of trekking through this strange Tall Plains replica, Cynder finally arrives at her destination, the last bridge before The Shrine. However, the bridge is intact, unlike how it was left after Spyro and Sparx were here that is…

Cynder: (Spotting The Shrine up ahead) That's where I have to go.

But that is when, suddenly, a bunch of wooden cages appear around Cynder, each filled with corpses of some strange llama-like beings.

Cynder: Oh god, the Atlawa. I forgot all about them.

And now those cages appear to multiply, surrounding Cynder and preventing her from crossing to The Shrine.

Cynder: Okay, this is getting freaky…

The cages continue to multiply, and Cynder is not completely surrounded by them, and as she turns back around towards the bridge, we see one particular Atlawa, their leader Kane.

Cynder: (Gasps in shock) Kane…? Wait a second, I don't remember killing him. Or any of the Atlawa for that matter. What's going on here?

That is when the cages fall away and the Atlawa corpses start to move, well crawl really, towards Cynder. In sheer fright, Cynder flies out over them, back onto one of the islands… but that's when everything goes somewhat mad, as the Atlawa corpses start to pile together, pulling Kane's corpse into the middle of it all, creating some sort of giant Atlawa creature.

Awalta: MURDERER!

Cynder is literally too frightened of this thing for words right now. But it only gets scarier when the ruins of the cages join together in it's hand to create some sort of bludgeoning weapon.

Awalta: DIE MURDERER!

The monster then begins swinging at Cynder, trying to kill her, obviously. But Cynder continually manages to dodge the weapon and the monster's free arm.

Cynder: Okay, how the heck do I beat this thing!?

The beast continues to try and kill Cynder, only destroying the very isles it stands on in the process.

Cynder: Great, this whole island is coming apart!

Awalta: DIE!

After a few more minutes of dodging this beast's attacks, one fateful swing of the club reveals a huge skull sigil.

Cynder: And that may be my saving grace!

While dodging attack upon attack from the beast, Cynder makes her way towards that large sigil, knowing it may be her only chance to not die.

Cynder: (Nearing the sigil) This worked last time, hope it works now!

Awalta: DIE, DIE, DIE!

Cynder presses her hand against the sigil, activating it.

Cynder: Let's hope this works!

With the sigil active, Cynder releases those fierce screams from earlier at this beast, knocking a few corpses off, but they keep climbing back on, reforming the beast.

Cynder: Okay, this isn't working! (Spots Kane's corpse near the beast's chest) Wait a second… (Thinks a minute while still firing off screams) That's it! Take out Kane at everything falls apart!

With this information in mind, Cynder charges the power of this sigil, gathering a massive amount of it before releasing it in the form of four compacted orbs of pure Fear energy headed straight to the monster's chest.

Cynder: Come on, I just need one of those to hit!

And just as she wished, one shot hit, forcing Kane's corpse out of the projection and off the edge of the island, which causes the whole creature to fall apart.

Awalta: Thank you…

With that massive attack released, Cynder slowly recovers her energy, and when she does, she can only see what looks like a hospital corridor full of corpses

Cynder: What on earth? (Examines the area) This is not Tall Plains, this looks like a hospital.

This is when Cynder notices a small sign attached to the wall, with a partially scratched out name.

Cynder: Al… Alche… Is that even a word? Well, it must be the name of this place.

Slowly the illusion of Tall Plains returns, restoring the bridge ahead.

Cynder: Okay, this place is messing with my mind. (Sighs) But I have to press on if I have a chance of leaving…

And with a heavy sigh, Cynder progresses across the bridge, towards Cyril's old prison, and whatever lies ahead.

 **And there we have this week's Silent Hill Sunday. And yes, this confirms that this Tall Plains illusion is built around Alchemilla Hospital. Now, up ahead is Cyril, and the next nightmarish boss. To see what happens there, tune in to next Silent Hill Sunday. Same time, same channel, same horror. Until next week…**


	9. Heart of Stone

**We're back for Silent Hill Sunday! Today, Cynder is about to encounter the second "boss" of the game, Cyril. Let's not waste any time, time to get in there!**

We arrive as Cynder has just gotten across the bridge, but before she can make it two inches from it, we turn around and see the bridge has collapsed, or rather, been replaced with a large amount of rubble.

Cynder: What on earth? (Tries to pry part of the rubble away, as if planning to see the bridge on the other side) Okay, this is just getting weird.

After progressing for a few moments, familiar sounds can be heard, and then we see what is going on…

Vinewrappers: Hang…Hang…

Living Targets: Hang… Hang…

Cynder: Oh great, these again. Hopefully nobody cries out for them to get my head or anything.

So, as stealthily as she can, Cynder sneaks down towards the old Shrine, knowing that's where Cyril would be. And just like the first time, they seem to ignore her, but unlike last time, they still don't notice her just as she gets to a set of double doors that mark where the Shrine enrance should be.

Cynder: Seriously, what is this place? What's going on?

It's at this point that the creatures, just like the Frostbiters and Twinsickles before them in Dante's Freezer, snap into some sort of trance.

Vinewrappers and Living Targets: We obey…

And just as before, they all leave.

Cynder: Wait, they just left? They didn't even notice me this time. That's definitely a good thing in my case.

Now some form of moaning appears to erupt from the Shrine.

Cynder: I can figure that out later.

So now Cynder opens the door to the Shrine, and there we see the injured Ice Guardian, Cyril, surrounded by the bits of the Shrine's old resident, the Stone Sentinel.

Cyril: (Hearing someone has come) Finally, my rescue has… (Notices it's Cynder who has arrived) Never mind.

Cynder: Cyril! Thank goodness you're alright!

Cyril: (With distaste in his voice) Why? So you can torture me more?

Cynder: That's not me anymore, I swear!

Cyril: You may fool others with that, but I will not be fooled by your lies!

Cynder: I know what I did to you was unforgiveable, but I've changed!

Cyril: HA! Now I know you're lying! You could never change. You have a heart of stone.

Cynder: That's not true!

Cyril: YOU CAN'T DENY WHO YOU ARE!

Now the pieces of the Stone Sentinel start to arise, but not to form the beast again, but rather to transform Cyril into a monster, mostly by breaking his limbs and tangling them with vines. But then the remaining fist rams itself into Cyril's chest, grabbing a hold of Cyril's head, using it like a puppet.

Stone Heart: And now I will take my revenge!

The monster that was Cyril starts slinging vine-wrapped stones at Cynder, but she dodges hit after hit, until one throw reveals that strange skull sigil.

Cynder: Thank goodness!

Cynder activates the sigil and starts sending resounding screams and those strange fear orbs right at Cyril.

Stone Heart: You think that will stop me?! You must be dreaming!

After a few more attacks, this monster knocks Cynder off the sigil.

Stone Heart: And now you are powerless!

The monster breaks the sigil with a massive stone fist, but then, the crimson energy rushes from the broken sigil into Cynder, just as before.

Stone Heart: Impossible!

Cynder: Not entirely, this has happened to me twice now!

With the energy of fear coursing through her veins, Cynder releases the most powerful shriek she has ever generated or heard for that matter. The sheer energy cracks most of the monster's armor, aside from the fist holding it's head, blowing it backwards, and defeating it.

Stone Heart: (Looking angrily upon Cynder) A heart of stone cannot crack… you monster…

The beast then expires, leaving only Cyril behind.

Cyril: Cynder, your heart is no stone. It beats with golden intent. Thank you…

With his message delivered, Cyril fades away, leaving only the fist of the Stone Sentinel behind.

Cynder: Thank goodness that's over.

But now the Tall Plains illusion is shattered entirely revealing Cynder is standing outside some kind of hospital.

Cynder: So I was in a hospital! (Sees a sign on the front of the building) Wait a second, that name looks familiar. (Realizes where she's seen it before) Oh! Alchemilla! That must be what that sign was trying to say. (Looks towards the stone fist) I'm guessing this is the Frigid Key then. (Grabs a hold of some of the vines that held it to the rest of the Stone Sentinel) Better get this out of here.

Having defeated the beast, Cynder grabs the vine in her teeth and pulls the stone fist off the grounds of Alchemilla Hospital, little knowing she is being watched, again by the mysterious "Spyro" figure…

 **And with that, our second boss is revealed. Stone Heart, the fusion of Cyril and the Stone Sentinel. If you can guess where the naming is going here, please don't be afraid to tell me, but don't tell others, I want to see if they can figure it out. Anyways, quick update. Next Sunday is Easter, and as such, sadly, there will be no Silent Hill Sunday, so I can spend time with my family. But everything will resume on April 8th. I bet you can tell where we're going next, but to find out, tune in on 4/8. Same time, same channel, same horror. Have a great next weekend, and I'll see you on April 8th.**


	10. Crossroads of Mystery

**We're back… That's right, after a small break for Easter, Silent Hill Sunday RETURNS! Last time, Cynder had emerged from some strange hybrid of Tall Plains and Alchemilla Hospital. Now we pick up with her. Let's go.**

Our story resumes with Cynder, still dragging the stone fist from earlier. After a few moments, she spots a familiar landmark, the crossroads from earlier, with the Ice King's sword still on the ground. Once she steps over the sword, she drops the fist and looks out upon the crossroads.

Cynder: Okay, two down, two to go.

Now that crimson glow from before encompasses the Tall Plains area, as Cynder's eyes glow the same shade.

Mysterious Voice: (In a calming manor) You became your own worst fear… now it will hold your enemies in terror.

Cynder: Wait! Who are you?! Please, don't leave me!

And just as before, the mysterious voice disappears. But this time, we can see a tear falling down Cynder's face, as if she realizes who's voice that was.

Cynder: Come back…

As the tear falls to the ground, the ever familiar silhouette of "Spyro" appears in the fog.

"Spyro": The Frigid Key has been collected, the stone guard has been reflected.

Cynder: This is getting frankly ridiculous Spyro! What's going on!?

Before she can say another word, "Spyro" vanishes.

Cynder: Great. Just great. Why didn't I see that coming!?

As Cynder turns around in frustration, she notices something odd. Those wire creatures from before are all just standing on the streets as if they were in a trance. Not a single one is moving.

Cynder: Okay, that's just creepy.

But that's not all that's going on here, it appears the very town is crumbling. As if each time Cynder returns, the buildings become more and more decrepit.

Cynder: I've heard of urban decay, but this is ridiculous. What is going on here?!

After exploring a bit, Cynder returns to the crossroad. And as if on cue, "Spyro" appears in the fog.

Cynder: Okay, enough riddles, Spyro. What's going on here!?

"Spyro": Two stand guard o'er her tomb, each in familiar shape. Face them only with steely will, for there is no escape.

Cynder: Stop talking in riddles and just tell me what's going on!

"Spyro": Locked in a land of sulfur and flame, the third guard does wait. If you seek the Tectonic Key, you will face hellish hate.

And just as before, "Spyro" vanishes.

Cynder: Okay this is frankly getting annoying.

At that moment, a change in temperature is felt, a very hot wind in other words.

Cynder: Please tell me that's not what he meant. Not again…

Now, directly behind the Tall Plains road, we see exactly what Cynder dreaded viewing. A place of fire and magma.

Cynder: (Quietly) Munitions Forge, just as I feared.

With more hesitation than usual in her step, Cynder enters this strange replication of Munitions Forge, with the continual explosions of Boyzitbig in the background, and this mysterious "Spyro" watching on.

 **Well now things are getting interesting. Cynder knows that voice? Who is it? Why is Silent Hill crumbling? What is really going on here? You'll see as the story progresses. In the meantime, Cynder is about to enter Munitions Forge, and things will only get scarier in this land of sulfur and flame. To see what terrors await, tune in for the next Silent Hill Sunday. Same Time, Same Channel, Same Horror. See you next week…**


	11. Munitions Forge or Origin of Shadow

**Welcome back, everyone. Tonight on Silent Hill Sunday, we begin a journey into the deepest pits of hell, or more accurately Munitions Forge. And as we get further back into A New Beginning's stages, things will only get more horrifying… I warn you. So if you still wish to continue, let us rejoin our story as it was…**

Munitions Forge, or as it's called by many, Hell on Earth. The air is choked by smoke pouring out from the volcano, Boyzitbig, The very earth bubbles in selective patches. But one soul ventures through this place of heat and death, Cynder.

Cynder: (Quietly) Of all places, why did I have to come back here…? Why did this nightmarish town bring me here…?

A few miles towards the volcano, Cynder sees exactly what she was afraid of, some of her victims. These poor souls were chained to the floor and apparently had molten lava poured on top of them, as evidenced by what appears to be bits of melted skin laying on the floor next to them, and bones protruding from their rocky shells.

As Cynder sees this, the sheer horror in her eyes is enough to convey how she is tormented by what she did to these poor unfortunate souls. But the fact that she has to turn away and vomit helps the point.

Cynder: (Quietly) This is exactly why I dreaded coming back here…

But, not too far from this horrific sight is what appears to be a sigil of sorts, not unlike the other two seen in Dante's Freezer and Tall Plains, but the sigil itself is barely visible, it's only a line down the center of the circle.

Cynder: (Putting a paw on the sigil) It's definitely a sigil, but I can't tell what the symbol is.

As Cynder's back is turned, a fool's error, the lava-covered corpse she passed on the way in begins to stir, it's rocky façade starting to crack, the bones of the victim slowly snapping out of place, or even snapping straight off, to make it's new form move. And as it slowly maneuvers towards Cynder, we can hear the hissing of steam, as parts of it that were still molten after all this time fall off around their now skeletal heads.

Deadforged: It burns… it burns…

This walking rock monster shambles it's way towards Cynder, while more break from their prisons and approach her. This is when Cynder hears the cracking of their lava shells, and turns in horror to see the army of them shambling towards her.

Deadforged: BURN!

Cynder is too terrified to even let out a scream as she backs up against the sigil, only for it to activate, glowing black and teal as Cynder's eye take on that dark glow. Just as she appears to be cornered, she sinks into her own shadow and frantically dashes around the area, unsure of where she's headed until emerging from the ground a few feet away from the monsters as the energy causes them to fall apart.

Deadforged: Thank you…

The look on Cynder's face is all we need to know how she feels, confused.

Cynder: Okay, what the heck just happened?!

Still confused but knowing she needs to press on, Cynder leaves this zone of Munitions Forge behind.

A few moments later Cynder, appears upon a bridge, which we never saw in game. Apparently it was used by Apes to get between places without being seen.

Cynder: The only good thing about coming back to this place, I actually remember the shortcuts.

As Cynder starts across the rickety old bridge, we look down to the lava pool it crosses, and what appears to be a sort of skeletal being shows it's back, like a shark in the ocean. Currently, Cynder is about halfway across the bridge, as she slowly remembers all the horrible things that happened here, countless prisoners thrown from bridges just like this one into the lava pits below. But just as she remembers, what appears to be the skeleton of one of her victims leaps up from the lava, missing everything past the ribcage aside from bits of it's spine, and grabs onto the ropes holding the bridge up.

Lavabone: BURN!

With no sigils in site, Cynder can't fight this thing, all she can do is run, run to the end of the bridge before it burns away, taking that skeletal monster with it, drowning it in the depths once again. But, still gasping for breath, Cynder turns to move on, but then from the pit of lava below, those skeletal creatures crawl ashore and reach out trying to grab her.

Lavabone: BURN!

Terrified, Cynder backs away from these creatures, only to come up against another sigil, activating it. This time though, Cynder remains calm as she sinks into her shadow, and now somewhat controls her motions, coming up on the opposite shore after rushing past those creatures, somehow destroying them.

Lavabone: Thank you…

As Cynder observes the creature sinking back into the magma, she finally realizes what this new sigil does.

Cynder: Okay, so this one must manipulate shadows. Interesting.

It is at this point when Boyzitbig lets out a thundering explosion. Cynder, realizing that must be where she's heading, presses on, not knowing what horrors await her…

 **And with that, another Silent Hill Sunday is finished. So what awaits Cynder as she ventures further into this hellscape? Tune in next week to find out. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you next week…**


	12. Rails of Hades

**We're back for Silent Hill Sunday! Today is the sort of "mini-boss" for Munitions Forge. So what's going to happen now? You'll see. Let's get going**

We resume our story with Cynder still trying to traverse the noxious caverns of Munitions Forge. But slowly and steadily things begin to change. Mostly that upon entering the next main cavern, for some reason, strange music begins to play.

Cynder: What the…? What the heck is that music? It sounds like some sort of carnival is going on here.

Now we enter a semi-familiar area from the original Munitions Forge, namely what looks like a rail junction, but now it is hybridized with a series of shops.

Cynder: Okay, what the heck is going on here? I don't remember there being a carnival here. (Looks around at the place) This is seriously getting weird.

As Cynder explores the seemingly abandoned shops and stands, trying to find some kind of clues as to what is going on here, there seems to be a large amount of smoke filling the nearby skies, more so than usual.

While the smoke begins to form over the area, Cynder keeps searching the stands and shops, trying to find some sort of clue, but not much is coming up.

Cynder: (Picks up a box) Butter Cake box number 23. Great, there's nothing here but old and probably burnt merchandise.

As Cynder leaves the last stand, something materializes in front of her, some sort of weird rabbit like… well she can't really tell what it is, but it's just standing there.

Cynder: (Looking at this rabbit thing in both curiosity and shock) Okay, where did you come from? (Notices the thing isn't moving, then pushes it over, causing it to fall and lose all structural integrity aside from the head) Must be some kind of costume.

Now the smoke is starting to thicken, to the point where even Cynder is noticing it.

Cynder: Okay, I know we're right next to a volcano, but there's no way there should be that much smoke in the air!

And Cynder has a point, as the smoke starts to form together around itself, breaking the surrounding stands and shops to create some sort of skeleton for itself. The creature appears to be dragonesque in design, but still composed of smoke and ruins, aside from the eyes, which are a pair of burning bits of rubble.

Soulsmoke: BURN!

Cynder looks up in horror as this smoke creature descends and tries to suffocate her. But as she's backing away from it, she sees something even she didn't remember, the rail system the Apes installed!

Cynder: Hope this still works!

Cynder boards the vehicle perched on the tracks, but the smoke creature is getting closer.

Cynder: Come one, come on, go, go, go!

As the smoke creature is about to crush her, the vehicle suddenly jets off through the tunnels.

Soulsmoke: YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!

True to its vaporous nature, the smoke creature follows Cynder through the rail tunnels, attempting to swallow her whole.

Cynder: (Sees this monster behind her) Why didn't I see this coming! It's made of SMOKE!

This ride into hell continues at breakneck speeds, but nobody's dead yet, for several miles of tunnels.

Soulsmoke: YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO US!

Cynder: I think that's the first time I've heard a complete sentence in this madness!

The rail chase continues for several more miles, until eventually, Cynder nears a cliff, and the edge of the rails.

Cynder: You have to be kidding me!

As the rail vehicle flies off the track, Cynder leaps off of it, sparing her a dip in molten lava, and landing on a normal platform, as the smoke creature arrives.

Soulsmoke: NOW YOU WILL DIE!

The smoke creature continues to try and suffocate Cynder, but as it tries to attack, Cynder backs into a sigil, activating it, and starts diving around the beast in her shadow, only to realize it has no effect on her.

Cynder: Okay, that didn't work, I need a new plan.

Soulsmoke: YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES!

Then, as if by instinct, Cynder tries to scream, but instead releases a stream of shadowy fire onto the beast, and it appears to be suffocated by it, eventually dissolving and dropping rubble all over the place.

Soulsmoke: Thank you…

At this point, Cynder is trying to catch her breath, as this new Shadow Fire thing almost took it from her.

Cynder: What on… earth was that… move…? (Catches her breath) That was madness.

It's at this point that Cynder sees where she is.

Cynder: Terrador's prison isn't too far away. And if the previous two Guardians are anything to go by, it's not going to go well.

So now, Cynder advances towards Terrador, unaware of the terror that is to come.

 **And I'll call it a day here. I knew from the moment I started this story that Munitions Forge needed to have a smoke-themed creature and something relating to the rail portion of the Steam battle. So now I've killed two birds with one stone. So what happens next? To see the interaction with Terrador, tune in next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you next week…**


	13. Depths of Flame

**Welcome back to Silent Hill Sunday. And today, Cynder reaches Terrador's cell in Munitions Forge. So what's going to happen now? Read on to find out.**

Our tale resumes right outside Terrador's cell. And right away, as Cynder looks back on where she's come from, things look odd. The track she rode in on has appeared to change into the tracks of a rollercoaster, and more stands appear ahead of her.

Cynder: Okay, what is going on here? Nothing looks accurate here! Where are these stands coming from? What's going on?!

Obviously baffled by her surroundings and their ever-shifting designs, Cynder moves on, with an air of caution about her. Approaching a door, Cynder can hear the cracking of hardened lava and the jangling of bones swimming about, attempting motion.

Cynder: No surprise, huge armies of monsters on the other side. But why do they keep them if they just intend to recall them afterwards?

As the sounds die down a bit, Cynder slowly opens the door, careful not to alert the monsters of her presence. Just as she appears to reach the door to Terrador's prison, she thinks the monsters may have noticed her, as she accidentally knocks a rock into a lava pit full of those skeletal beasts, but they all seem to be in a trance, not noticing her.

Deadforged and Lavabones: We obey…

And then, just like before, they file out of the room, seemingly never to be seen again.

Cynder: This is getting stranger by the minute.

With the monsters removed from the room, Cynder advances forward, seeing Terrador on the ground, his once floating cage shattered, and bits of what appear to be a train all over the place. Cautiously, knowing the first few times this happened, Cynder approaches the Earth Guardian.

Cynder: Terrador?

Terrador: Thank goodness, someone came. (Sees who it is, and recoils in anger) GET AWAY FROM ME YOU MONSTER!

Cynder: (To herself) I had a feeling this would happen. (To Terrador) I know what you're going to say, Terrador, but the monster that trapped you here is not who I am anymore.

Terrador: You and I both know that's a lie. You're a demon, and always have been.

Cynder: How could you say that?!

Terrador: If I said otherwise, I'd be a liar! YOU DESERVE TO BURN FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!

And now the parts of the train, alias Steam, begin to move around, jamming themselves into Terrador's body, with the front façade acting as a grim mask, the wheels bound to his legs, and the engine giving his very presence a hellish visage)

Fiery Depths: NOW YOU WILL BURN!

This corruption of Terrador settles it's wheels in the tracks around the area, attempting to ram into Cynder with sheer velocity. Thankfully she dodges every time, but the walls around her not so much. Each impact shatters the walls a bit more, and each hit makes the volcano more unstable.

Cynder: Are you crazy?! You're going to kill us all if you keep that up!

Fiery Depths: Killing you is part of the plan!

The next impact reveals that strange shadow sigil from before. Knowing exactly what to do, Cynder rushes over to it, and bombards this monster with blast after blast of that shadowy fire from before, knowing dodging it will do nothing.

Eventually, this seems to have an effect, until the monster charges head on at the sigil. In a moment of self-preservation, Cynder leaps out of the way, allowing the monster to destroy the sigil.

Fiery Depths: Now you are powerless!

Just as he says that, dark energy creeps up from the floor and into Cynder, just as before.

Cynder: Don't be too sure about that.

Now armed with shadow energy, Cynder fights back against the monster, and after a while of blasting the beast, it gives up the ghost, and falls to the ground, and the engine dies at last, as all the pieces of Steam but itself fade away.

Fiery Depths: You belong in the darkest pit of Hell, demon. Now, you will truly burn…

And as the monster expires, Terrador resumes control, but unlike before, his eyes show worry as well as hope.

Terrador: You are no demon Cynder. You will be feasting with the Ancestors in the heavens upon your death, of that I am sure.

Cynder: Thanks. I think…

Terrador: And unless you want to meet them now, you need to flee. _He's_ coming…

Cynder: Who's he? Who's coming?

Before Terrador can say anything, a familiar noise can be heard, almost like metal scraping upon the stone floors. And in the distance a dragon-like figure can be seen, a familiar one at that, only appearing to have a single horn out the top of his head rather than two.

Cynder: Spyro?

Terrador: Whatever you may be thinking, it's wrong. That thing is not Spyro, it's…

But before he can finish, a large knife is thrown into his chest.

Terrador: (With his dying breath) Fly Cynder! Fly like you've never flown before!

As Terrador dies, Cynder sees the monster in full. We don't, but the sheer horror in her eyes is enough to cause her to grab the engine, the Molten Key, and fly out of there in the truest terror.

Now as she leaves, the scene converts fully from Munitions Forge to what it really was. Terrador's cage becomes the ruins of a merry-go-round, the erupting volcano a calm landscape, with a broken down Ferris Wheel in the distance. As this figure emerges fully, we see he steps on a postcard with the name Lakeside Amusement Park printed on it.

"Spyro": Only one guard remains. (Retrieving his knife from the corpse of Terrador) And then, she's mine…

 **I'll leave it there for this week. So what is going on here? The mystery continues into May then. But know this, this story is nearing it's end. I don't expect Silent Hill Sundays to continue after the Summer. So for now, enjoy it, and after the last chapter, you can read the whole thing from start to finish with the full story evident now. In the meantime, things pick up again in May. Only one location and one Guardian remain before the true horror kicks in. To see where things go, tune in on the first Sunday in May. Same time, same channel, same horror. If you dare…**


	14. The Voice Revealed?

**Welcome back to Silent Hill Sunday. Last time Cynder faced off against Terrador, but before he died, he warned her someone was coming. Now only one Guardian remains, one key to find before the mysteries start to unravel. Let's get into it.**

We open on Cynder, still in terror, flying away from that strange Munitions Forge carnival place, and still carrying the engine of Steam recovered from Terrador's monstrous… alter-ego, which must be the third key. As she lands, she finds herself in a familiar place, the ever mysterious crossroads from earlier, with the Ice King's sword and Stone Sentinel's fist still in place.

Cynder: (Through gasping breaths) What did I just see?! What was that monster?! It couldn't have been what I saw. I must be going mad!

As Cynder throws her head up in frustration, we see the surrounding town of Silent Hill, now more in ruins than before, and growing worse. It seems as Cynder claims the keys, the tow dissolves a little bit more.

Now a dome of dark-violet light encompasses the Munitions Forge area, making Cynder's eyes turn the same shade.

Mysterious Voice: Darkness sought to control you… now it is yours to command.

And as the mysterious voice fades away, Cynder's eyes well up with tears.

Cynder: No, wait! Please don't leave me! Come back! (A few seconds of tears) MOTHER!

And as before, the mysterious voice fades. But this time, Cynder is left with tears and quandaries.

Cynder: Did I just call that voice "mother"? That's impossible. I never knew my mother, never heard her voice, never saw her face, and it's quite possible I killed her. But… that's the only person it could have been. Now I have to know.

And as Cynder dries her eyes, "Spyro" appear, not appearing as he did before, when he killed Terrador.

"Spyro": The Tectonic Key has been obtained. The third guard's life force has been drained.

Cynder: Spyro, enough with this!

And just as before, "Spyro" disappears.

Cynder: This is really starting to freak me out.

Echoing Voice: This is really starting to freak me out.

Upon hearing this, Cynder turns around and sees those strange wire creatures from before, still in some form of trance, but now repeating every word she says.

Cynder: Okay, this is spooky.

Wirelings: Okay, this is spooky.

Cynder: Stop that!

Wirelings: Stop that!

At that point, the wire creatures all let out an ear piercing shriek at once, attempting to subdue Cynder with sheer sound. But after a few moments, they give up, and as Cynder looks up, they've collapsed to the ground, seemingly deceased again.

Cynder: Okay, this is getting weird again. (Waits for them to repeat her) Okay, they've stopped doing that.

But then, the wire beasts' heads reanimate, at least enough to speak.

Wirelings: One final guard remains, one final key to claim. Seek it out to reveal the truth, and who is for our deaths to blame.

Cynder cannot even speak due to the sheer terror at this sight of a thousand corpses each speaking at once, as if joined by a hive mind.

Wirelings: A land of storms and living gems, within is the final guard found. Challenge him for the Molten Key, and then the truth will abound.

With that, the wire creatures fall back to their dead positions, and utter one last statement with their final breaths.

Wirelings: Thank you…

Cynder needn't even speak to reveal the sheer terror and confusion in her voice. But as she turns around, the last of the untraveled roads reveals itself, a dark storm cloud encroaches over the land as familiar black towers and crystal growths reveal themselves. The look in Cynder's eyes is enough to tell what is going on here, and where this place is.

Cynder: No…

As much as Cynder would like it not to be, it is. Her final destination is Concurrent Skies, her former lair. With terror on her face, and all throughout her being. She approaches this place of horror, knowing nothing of what lies ahead. But then, out of the corner of the screen, far from Cynder's peripheral vision, "Spyro" appears.

"Spyro": Soon the time will come for you to face me, Cynder. (Lets out a familiar raspy cackle) And then you will know true pain…

 **I think I will leave it there for this week. At long last, the voice is revealed, possibly. The closest equivalent Cynder could assign to this voice is her mother's. But is it really her? I'll never tell. Next time, the journey to Concurrent Skies begins. I will say it, this had to be my favorite location in the game. It looks amazing, despite the enemies being bland up until Cynder herself. But rest assured, the horror only amplifies. I feel confident in saying this is the setting of Cynder's darkest nightmares, the place where she executed her former master's commands, and sent untold numbers of innocents to their deaths. So how bad will this realm get? Tune in next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. If you dare…**


	15. Concurrent Skies or Origin of Wind

**Our journey through Silent Hill is slowly drawing to a close. Cynder is now going for the final key, the final Guardian, the final location of her horrifying past. What horrors will we encounter here? Read on to find out…**

Concurrent Skies, once a place of learning for Electric dragons of all ages. Now, as Terrador put it, the place where hope goes to die. Cynder had taken over this place and made it her lair. And now, free of Malefor's darkness, she returns here… begrudgingly.

Cynder: Why did it have to be this place? Why is this town making me come back here?

The crystal growths in the area still spark with electricity, but now it seems to be behaving strangely, almost as if it's… alive.

Cynder: I know this place is essentially a living storm, but this is getting strange. These gems never acted like this. What's going on?

Haunting Voice: You don't know…? That's a first.

Cynder: (Springing to a defensive position in surprise) Who's there?!

Haunting Voice 2: You don't recognize us? No surprise there. We were always nothing to you…

This is when the electrical surges from the local crystals spark to literal life, taking on the forms of Cynder's previous victims, but appearing almost ghostly.

Haunting Voice: First your Ape lackeys killed our children…

Haunting Voice 2: Then you murdered us…

As these two speak, more spirit like-beings appear and surround Cynder. If you can visualize her face right now, you understand the real horror of this scene.

Haunting Voice 3: How could you do this to us…?

Haunting Voice 4: We did nothing to you…!

Haunting Voice 5: You slaughtered us…!

Haunting Voice 2: You are a murderer…!

All Haunting Voices (Plus about a million more): DIE! DIE! DIE! (Repeated)

As these ghost-like figures keep telling Cynder to die, they pull in closer, surrounding her. As Cynder is slowly cornered, she starts to curl up into a ball for her own protection. But as she does, her eyes glow a strange light-blue shade. The spirits converge on Cynder, but that's when something happens. She suddenly turns on them, and releases a large gust of Wind, blowing these electric spirits away from her.

Cynder: (As the gust of wind is released) STOP!

The sheer force of this Wind gust blew away the spirits, who took to the air, finally free of their crystalline prisons.

Haunting Voices: Thank you…

Cynder: What on…? (Noticing her eyes glowing in a crystal) But how? There's no sigils anywhere around here.

Now this is when we see why those spirits emerged from the crystals. Cynder had evidently taken advantage of the quick growing crystals of this area, and encased her victims in them.

Cynder (Seeing one of the bodies, letting out a surprised gasp at the same time) I almost forgot that happened. Now I wish I could again.

Moving onward from the crystal grove, Cynder appears near the entrance to her old fortress.

Cynder: I always hoped I'd never have to come back here.

Even this far from the door, Cynder can hear the wailing of ghosts on the other side. Those she had killed here personally, but also the sounds of shambling. As she is about to make a break for the door, the latter noise is made clear. Ape soldiers, from across the realms, are here, shambling about like zombies.

Cynder: Okay, this is freaky.

The seemingly dead and reanimated Apes seemingly show no interest in Cynder. No surprise, she was their commander after all. But the whole idea unnerves her.

Cynder: Is this what I did to them…? I'm not sure whether to say they deserved it or not. No living being deserves this.

Cynder sneaks her way through the massive group of Zombie Apes, careful not to alert any of them to her presence. Thankfully, she makes it to the door safely.

Cynder: Ignitus should be up top. Let's hope he's more welcoming than the others.

And with that, Cynder enters her old lair, unprepared for what awaits.

 **And that should do it for today. I know, this chapter wasn't as monster heavy as the others, but I want this area to be more psychologically scarring than physically. Having to face the ghosts of her victims personally and see the very soldiers she commanded turned to shambling undead would freak anyone out. Next week, the "mini-boss" of this area, and then Ignitus two weeks from now. So what comes next? To find out, tune in next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you then.**


	16. An Aura of Darkness Surrounds This Place

**Our story of Silent Hill is wrapping up. After today, the final Guardian will be faced and then everything builds to the conclusion. For now, we return to Concurrent Skies. Now Cynder faces her most horrifying enemy to date. What is it? You'll see. Let us resume our story…**

As the old stone doors to Cynder's Lair creak open, all appears quiet, if not strangely vertical. Now, as Cynder enters, everything goes quiet, even the Zombie Apes outside stop shambling around.

Cynder: (Noting the silence) I don't like this. Not one bit.

Cynder steps into the central room of this, her once lair. However, upon looking up, she notices something is odd here.

Cynder: That's strange, I don't remember this place being so… vertical. I know there were staircases somewhere.

As she recalls the not-so-fond memories of her old lair, a shadowy aura begins to form on the floor. And by the time Cynder notices it, the aura has grown to encompass almost all of the floor. Cynder only escapes being potentially swallowed by it from moving onto a raised portion of the floor.

Cynder: Okay, what is going on here?!

Then, as if on cue, the very raised section of floor she's standing on rises into the air, as do several others around the room. And as the now floating platforms rise, the dark aura on the floor takes a form, namely that of an Ape, but one larger than all those previously encountered, with glowing green eyes and wearing a horned helmet.

Cynder: No…

Evil Aura: (Observing Cynder) Well, well, the traitor returns…

There are no words to describe the horror in Cynder's eyes right now.

Evil Aura: You have sealed your fate by coming here! Prepare to die!

This is when the floating platforms begin to move around the central tower and the dark figure.

Cynder: Okay, this is getting weird!

As the platforms rotate around the walls of the tower, Cynder leaps from platform to platform to avoid being hit as the figure slams it's fists into platform after platform.

Evil Aura: You will not escape me!

This monster continues to destroy platforms as Cynder continues to race away from it.

Evil Aura: Run all you like, I will destroy you!

Eventually after a lot of running and dodging hits, Cynder lands on the last platform.

Cynder: Oh great.

Evil Aura: Now you are trapped!

With a devilish flick, the monster destroys the platform Cynder is standing on, sending her plummeting to her death while it laughs. But as she falls, the strange energy that Cynder had channeled while being surrounded by the ghosts of her victims appears again, and almost as if by instinct, Cynder begins to spin in midair, channeling the very air around her into a mighty vortex.

Evil Aura: What is this?!

At this point, Cynder has turned herself back over and is slowing her descent with this vortex, but the high speed winds are picking up the debris in the area and flinging it all over the place, knocking bits off the monster in the process.

Evil Aura: How are you doing this?!

Cynder does not hear the beast as she just keeps spinning. Eventually the vortex gets so powerful, the monster is lifted into the air and starts to be sent out of the building through the top of this tower

Evil Aura: NO!

The monster is sent soaring into the atmosphere, gathering charge as it flies. As soon as it is out of sight, Cynder lands on the ground where it once stood, slightly dizzy from all the spinning.

Cynder: I think I'm going to be sick.

Needless to say, she was not actually about to vomit, it was just some short-term dizziness. But now with the beast destroyed, the floor Cynder stands on begins to rise slowly towards the top of the tower.

Cynder: (Looking up and seeing the familiar glass roof) Here I come, Ignitus.

 **And that seems like a good place to leave it. Sorry if this mini-boss wasn't as epic as the last three, I'm really starved for ideas with these custom monsters. Thankfully, I won't need to make many more. But I'm pretty sure anyone who's played the Legend of Spyro games can tell who that Evil Aura was taking the form of. And yes, it was intentional. So, next chapter, Ignitus. How will that go? You'll see next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you then…**


	17. The Final Guardian

**One more Guardian to match, one more key to claim, and many more hazards to overcome. This journey through Silent Hill may be ending soon, but the nightmares won't let up before that. Now, we resume our tale, as Cynder prepares to confront Ignitus. Let us resume…**

The elevator platform comes to a stop at the top of the tower, and straight ahead is Ignitus' prison. But as Cynder disembarks, we suddenly shift perspective to another tower nearby, where a red dragon is lurking, waiting for her.

Cynder: Now I think I know how Spyro felt coming up to this point.

Immediately upon saying that, some sort of spectral Spyro appears next to her, and Ignitus appears to be within his old bonds.

"Ignitus": Spyro… destroy the crystal… quickly!

Spectral Spyro: Let's get him out of here before Cynder gets back!

As Cynder turns to see where she herself would have emerged normally, Ignitus disappears, revealing the supposedly deceased Electric King in his bonds.

Cynder: How did you get there? You were downstairs I thought.

Electric King: Cynder… you have to flee… quickly!

Cynder: Wait, you can talk?!

Electric King: There's no time, you have to run!

Just as Cynder turns to run, an evil-eyed Ignitus runs up and blocks her path.

Dark Ignitus: If only it were that easy, evil one.

Electric King: Run Cynder! Save yourself!

It is at this point that this evil Ignitus picks up a broken column and flings it straight into the Electric King's heart.

Dark Ignitus: That's enough out of you, cowardice! (Turning back to Cynder) You killed my fellow Guardians. Volteer, Cyril, Terrador, their blood is on your claws.

Cynder: Ignitus, please! Listen to me! I'm not that monster anymore!

Dark Ignitus: Was that the same lie you told the others, before you killed them?

Cynder: I… I…

Dark Ignitus: So you admit it! They are dead because of you! And now I will take vengeance for them! It's time you learned how difficult life can really be.

The evil Ignitus rears up on his hind legs, and smacks Cynder aside with his horns. After recovering from that attack, Cynder tries to fight back, but her abilities are limited by fear of harming Ignitus, as there is no monstrous shell to destroy this time.

Dark Ignitus: Perhaps you should have heeded your servant's advice and fled!

Cynder: (Steeling her resolve) No, this time I stand and fight. You won't haunt me any longer!

Dark Ignitus: (Laughs) Bring it.

Cynder rushes at the evil Ignitus with more resolve than ever before. But as before, she is overwhelmed, until the sheer determination to escape in her eyes causes that blueish glow from before to reappear, giving her back her abilities over Wind.

After a few moments of this, this evil Ignitus does not yield, rather he only seems to get stronger, taking to destroying the environment around him, dropping rubble from the building itself, which seems to be slowly crumbling ever since Cynder started fighting.

The battle rages for what feels like hours, but probably has only been a couple of minutes at best, with Cynder releasing countless gusts of wind and summoning many vortexes. But yet, nothing she does seems to affect this evil Ignitus.

Ignitus: You fool, I am invulnerable! I exist as long as you fear me!

After continuing to try and bombard this evil Ignitus with attack after attack, it's only after Cynder misses and hits the Electric King's corpse that any damage is done.

Cynder: Of course that's how it's done.

Now knowing what to do, Cynder leaps over the evil Ignitus, and puts attack after attack on the corpse of the Electric King. Each hit deals pain to the evil Ignitus, as if the two have swapped places somehow. And then, with one final gust, the Electric King's helmet falls to the floor, and the evil Ignitus falls as well, with Cynder turning to see her fallen enemy.

Dark Ignitus: (With blood trickling from his mouth) You may have bested me, but the Purple Dragon still lives, and he is coming for you…

At this point, the dark aura that had seemingly possessed Ignitus fades, leaving the real Ignitus behind.

Ignitus: Cynder…

Cynder: Ignitus…?

Ignitus: You have overcome great adversity to get here… and unlocked your great potential… but the greatest trial you face has yet to come.

Cynder: What does that even mean?! What is going on in this freaky town?!

Ignitus' blood loss grows greater by the second, he won't be around much longer. But with his dying breath, he attempts to give an answer.

Ignitus: All of this… was…

But before he can explain anything to Cynder, his life runs out, and he falls deceased.

Cynder: No… no… no! You can't die on me now, Ignitus!

But as Ignitus' remains vanish, a sickening pink glow appears behind Cynder. As she turns around, she beholds an item she'd hoped never to see again. The crystal in which she contained Ignitus' powers.

Cynder: Of course this is the last key. It couldn't have been something else.

With remembrance of this gem in her mind, Cynder picks it up in her jaw and flies away from Concurrent Skies, never to return again. But as she flees, a familiar dragon appears.

"Spyro": Yes. Return the key to the door, and unlock your fate. Soon, you will be mine…

 **And I think that's a good place to call it a day. This chapter went through a lot of revision before putting it up. Originally Ignitus was supposed to be like the last three bosses, but then I realized he'd pretty much be a Cold Blood clone. And if there are similarities visible between this and the first stage of Cynder's boss battle in A New Beginning, good on you to spot it. It was intentional. It seems Cynder is starting to figure out what is going on here. But now, we venture towards the finale of this long and almost forgotten tale. To see where the story goes, return next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you in June…**


	18. Lights in the Darkness

**Our tale in Silent Hill is drawing to it's close. Cynder has defeated the four Guardians and claimed their keys. Now as she returns to the crossroads, everything is about to change. How? I won't say right now, but you will see. For now, let us resume our story as it was… and as it will never be again.**

We resume our tale on Cynder flying back into the scene with the final key, the gem from Concurrent Skies, clasped in her jaws. As she lands, we can see the other three keys; the sword of the Ice King from Dante's Freezer, the fist of the Stone Sentinel from Tall Plains, and the engine of Steam from Munitions Forge; have been moved.

Cynder: Wait a second. Those were over there. What's going on here?

As she questions what she's seeing, she places the gem down with the other four keys, and a dome of almost turquoise light appears over the final crossroad, the one she just emerged from. And as her eyes glow the same shade, the mysterious, almost maternal, voice returns.

Mysterious Voice: The storm of your sorrows is fading away. Let your goodness flow like the wind.

Cynder: Enough of these riddles and nightmares! Who are you?! What is going on in this crazy town?!

Mysterious Voice: You have shown exceptional bravery to have made it this far.

Cynder: ANSWER ME!

Mysterious Voice: Place the keys upon their realm to reflect their light. Only then will you be granted true sight. Seek where the four converge to reveal what you must see. Observe it well, then to see the truth, you must come and find me.

And just as before, the voice starts to fade.

Cynder: Wait, wait, WAIT! What does any of that even mean?!

Mysterious Voice: I'm waiting for you…

With that, the voice fades away, leaving Cynder both confused and angry.

Cynder: Great, just great! The closest I've gotten yet towards figuring out what the hell is going on here, and all I get is ANOTHER RIDDLE!? How am I supposed to get out of here with just RIDDLES?! This is madness!

In a fit of rage Cynder punches the sword of the Ice King, at the hilt so her claws didn't get cut open, causing it to slide over towards the crossroad it came from. But as it settles in place, the blade moves of it's own volition, turning the point straight ahead, and just like that the sickening green light surrounding the nightmarish Dante's Freezer recreation it came from reflects from the blade off into the distance, removing some of the mist.

Cynder: (Noticing what she just did) Oh… now I get it. But wait a second, this thing was magnetized to the ground. I couldn't move it if I tried! What's happening?

To test a theory, Cynder pushes the fist of the Stone Sentinel. To her surprise, the heavy stone, which she could barely drag back here mere moments prior, slides towards it's point of origin with ease, almost as if physics has been turned off.

Cynder: This is getting really weird. I could hardly drag that here, now it's sliding as if it were on ice. What is going on?

Still unsure of what is happening, Cynder moves the stone fist into place, and as it settles, the crimson light of it's origin is reflected pointing the same way as that off the sword, clearing up the mist just as much

Cynder: (Seeing this) "Place the keys upon their realms." Now I get it.

Now understanding the puzzle before her, Cynder moves the engine from Steam and the gem into their places. Within moments, the two objects start to reflect the light of their respective realms, clearing up the foggy barrier blocking her path.

Cynder: Okay, I've cleared up the fog. Now what?

This is when the four keys slowly start to adjust themselves, allowing their lights to converge somewhere in the distance.

Cynder: Wait a second. "Seek where the four converge". These four lights converge somewhere, I just have to find where.

Just as Cynder says that, the sword, the fist, and the engine slowly disintegrate, yet the crossroads they mark start projecting the beam in their place. As does the crossroad of the gem, but it remains intact somehow. As the beams change location, Cynder turns around and notices the three keys in ruins and the fourth intact.

Cynder: What on…?

As soon as she spies the gem, it slowly starts to turn towards Cynder.

Cynder: I guess you're important elsewhere then.

With a little bit of hesitation, Cynder picks up the gem again, and carries it with her into the unknown. But as she walks away, a figure appears where she once stood. By now you all can guess who it is.

"Spyro": Now you are in my realm, little one. And you will never get away from me…

 **I think that's a good spot to call it a day on this one. So now Cynder advances towards the source of the voice. If you wondered why my monsters weren't as creative in the Concurrent Skies section, you're about to find out. I devoted a lot of my monster creating energy to this upcoming section. We are nearing the end. The next bosses will be the penultimate and the final ones respectively. So what horrors await? Tune in next time to find out. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you soon…**


	19. Words of Hope

**We are nearing the end of our journey through Silent Hill. The next major monster is the penultimate one, before the final boss. And we've seen it before, throughout this madness. Don't believe me? Let us rejoin our tale, and you will see what I mean.**

As we resume our story, Cynder appears traversing the road which opened up in the last section, still carrying the gem from Concurrent Skies. Overhead, four beams of light, the ones Cynder seeks the convergence point of. But now the fog is growing thicker, and the sky ever darker.

Cynder: Okay, this is starting to creep me out.

After a few more minutes of walking, it appears the fog starts to get thicker than usual, to the point where no one could see more than a few inches in front of them.

Cynder: What's going on? What's with the fog?

Now the fog is almost forming a barrier, preventing Cynder from going forward or back. And now shadowy figures appear moving around in the fog. All of Cynder's previous victims, the hordes of monsters from all over this nightmarish town, are shambling around in the fog, just out of Cynder's sight.

The cries of the monsters then ring out, unintelligible unlike their original forms. But the noise is very clearly enough to drive Cynder slightly mad, trying to block them out. But then, a sharp cry emerges from the fog.

Unknown Voice: SILENCE!

At that command, the cries stop. And as Cynder looks around, the figures still appear in the shadows, only silent. But then a terrifying sound emerges from the fog. The sound of metal being dragged across the stone floor. Cynder knows this sound all too well, as well as the seemingly one horned figure that summons it. Whatever killed Terrador has returned.

Cynder: (Quietly) No… not again…

Now we see the being in full, and observe it wears a pyramidal mask over it's entire head, and drags a great knife behind it. But this is not the same monster you think it is.

Unknown Voice: You have made incredible progress thus far. Defeating the four guards. But now you face the ultimate trial.

Cynder: (With fear in her voice) Stay back!

Unknown Voice: Now now, Cynder…

At this point the figure removes it's pyramidal mask, revealing it's true face.

"Spyro": Is that any way to greet the one who saved you?

Cynder: (Realizing who it is) Spyro!? Okay, that is it, you have some explaining to do!

It's at this point that Spyro swings the great knife he's carrying down in front of her.

"Spyro": Stay back, you monster!

Cynder: Spyro, what's come over you?

"Spyro": What's come over me? The desire to see you condemned for your crimes.

Cynder: What?

"Spyro": Why else would I have saved a monster like you? To see you hanged for what you've done! Do you have any idea how many people you've killed? How many innocent lives you've ruined?

Cynder: (With a tear in her eye) I thought… you stood with the Guardians…

"Spyro": Those sentimental old fools were supposed to kill you! But instead they were blinded by their guilt over the raid and gave you a chance at redemption that you didn't deserve. Now I see they are unfit to do their job. So now, it falls to me to see you ended. Even if I have to play judge, jury and… (Picking up his blade, prepared to swing it again) EXECUTIONER!

In horror, Cynder sees the blade come down and flees the scene. But, with a sadistic grin on his face, "Spyro" continues after her, dragging his knife behind him.

"Spyro": You can run, but you can't hide…

As Spyro walks away, we can see where Cynder has hidden herself behind a nearby wall, breathing heavily due to the fear of the situation.

Cynder: (Paralyzed with fear) This can't be happening. This has to be a nightmare. Please, please let this be a nightmare!

It's at this point that Cynder, for the first time in a long time, starts to break down in tears.

Cynder: (Through tears) What am I kidding. This is more than just real, this is what I deserve.

As Cynder's tears begin to flow, one of them hits the gem she's been carrying this whole time, and suddenly, voices erupt from it.

Volteer: You can't give up now, Cynder!

Cyril: You've faced down incredible odds and maddening threats to arrive at this point.

Terrador: You don't deserve this hell. You deserve your fair chance at redemption.

Ignitus: Press on, Cynder. Press on. It is the only way to escape this nightmare.

Guardians: We're with you.

And with that, the gem ceases glowing, and Cynder, having heard their words of encouragement, dries her eyes and picks up the gem.

Cynder: (Embracing the gem) I won't let you down.

But then, just as she's enjoying her moment of peace, the sound of metal dragging on stone can be heard nearby. As Cynder turns around, she sees "Spyro" has caught up to her.

"Spyro": I found you…!

Cynder rolls to avoid Spyro's blade, as well as protect the gem. With renewed determination, Cynder valiantly tries to use her newfound elemental powers on Spyro, but none of them work.

"Spyro": Is that all you've got…?!

Realizing she can't fight back, not now anyways, Cynder holds the gem in her jaw and runs.

"Spyro": You'll not escape me…!

And the last sound we hear as this section ends is Spyro's blade dragging along the ground as he follows Cynder further into this nightmarish town.

 **And that looks like a good spot to end it for today. And yes, I did take some inspiration for this version of Spyro from Pyramid Head. But then again, think about it. Pyramid Head and this darker form of Spyro do have some similar meanings. If you've played Silent Hill 2, or at least know about it, you may see what I'm getting at. So, what happens next? That's for next week. To learn the answers, tune in then. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you next week…**


	20. Revelations

**Welcome to one of the last chapters in Silent Hill. I can already tell you this story won't last through the summer. But from this point, I will provide a countdown until the end of the story, because we are indeed close enough for a countdown. This time, we resume Cynder's battle with this evil version of Spyro. Let us resume our story as it was.**

All we hear is running. Cynder's namely, running across the town of Silent Hill, still holding the gem as a twisted and dark version of Spyro chases her, narrowing in with the sound of a great knife scraping against the ground.

"Spyro": (In the distance) You can't escape, Cynder… I will find you…

Right now, Cynder actually can't hear what he's saying, as she's too busy running to not get her head chopped off by a mad dragon wielding a giant knife. As it is, I don't even think she knows where _she's_ going, much less where that twisted version of Spyro is.

Eventually though, Cynder does have to stop running, mostly due to exhaustion, and secondly because she has no idea where she's going.

Cynder: (Realizing she's lost) Great. I knew I should have made a map of this place.

As Cynder stops to breathe, that terrible sound of metal on stone emerges again.

"Spyro": Run, run, as fast as you can…

With this twisted Spyro closing in and no knowledge of where in Silent Hill she is, Cynder has to get away. Thankfully, what appear to be voices emerge in the distance. There's a crowd nearby!

Cynder: Usually crowds aren't a good sign…

Just as she finishes that sentence, that sound of metal on stone can be heard again, but louder this time.

Cynder: But this time I'll have to make an exception!

As this evil Spyro nears, Cynder runs off in the direction of the crowd. And as she does, the enemy arrives, and smiles at this turn of events.

"Spyro": Exactly where I wanted you to be.

After a few more minutes of running, the crowd becomes louder, but what they're saying isn't any clearer. But after a few moments, we see why. They're inside a massive building. Upon stepping through the door, Cynder is transported to some sort of giant court room, with the hordes of monsters from previous areas sitting in multitudinous jury boxes.

Cynder: Huh? (Noticing all the monsters are staring at her) I knew crowds were a bad sign.

And suddenly, the sound of the twisted Spyro's voice echoes from the judge's seat.

"Spyro": At long last, Cynder has arrived for her court date!

Cynder: Court what?! What's happening?!

"Spyro": You still don't know? How are you this oblivious?! You are here, charged with countless murders. Your ledger has more red than any other being I have seen. The evidence is clear! You yourself admitted your crimes to the Guardians before you killed them! The verdict is clear! What says the jury?!

Twinsickles and Frostbiters: GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

Vinewrappers and Living Targets: GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

Deadforged and Lavabones: GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

The endless cries of "Guilty" continue as Cynder begins to tear up again, eventually just trying to block out the sound while she cowers in a fetal position.

"Spyro": (Noticing this) Ha! She refuses to even acknowledge her guilt!

At this point it appears all is lost, but this is when Cynder suddenly starts returning to a standing position, but with her head held down as the "juries" stop chanting their verdict.

Cynder: I see it now. I see what Ignitus was trying to tell me.

"Spyro": Okay, now I'm confused. What… are you trying to defend yourself?

Cynder: No. I know what I've done. And now I see what is happening. Every night for weeks I've been crying myself to sleep, trying to make peace with myself about my past. And now, I see why I'm here.

Nobody really knows how to react, not even the twisted Spyro, who just stares on confused as Cynder gets back to her standing position, still holding her head down for now.

Cynder: I wouldn't let myself come to peace. I needed someone to punish me for my sins. That is why you're here. And why I'm trapped in this town. This is my own self-induced hell.

"Spyro": You must be mad!

Cynder: No, now I see the truth.

Now Cynder finally holds her head up high, looks that twisted Spyro straight in the eye, and says:

Cynder: Now, it's time to end this nightmare.

Enraged, the twisted Spyro leaps down from the jury box, and brandishes his knife.

"Spyro": Be this reality or just a dream, you are still guilty! And you will still DIE!

Cynder, after finally seeing what is going on, calls upon every power she has acquired during all of this to face this twisted image of Spyro, and end him. But even with all her newfound power, he still manages to deliver devastating blows.

"Spyro": You may be stronger than you were, but you are still a monster. And how fitting for you to go, then to be killed by your own victims!

Now the jury boxes empty as hordes of monsters storm the area, and Cynder fights each of them off, realizing what they really are. But the court room was clearly not meant to handle this much of a load, as the floor soon collapses, dropping everyone into the darkness below…

 **And… cliffhanger. That's right, the battle isn't over yet. I plan to continue it next time. But aside from that, we finally get an answer as to what is going on here! Or, well,** _ **Cynder**_ **does. The readers knew all along, but it's still satisfying to see. At least, I hope it was. Anyways, I promised a sort of countdown timer to the end of the story, so here it is. From here, there will only be five more chapters until the story ends. Our tale is sadly nearing it's conclusion, but let us move towards the future with, hopefully, excitement to see how this finishes off. Next week, the conclusion to the boss battle with "Spyro". To see how that ends, tune in then! Same time… same channel! See you next week…**


	21. Judge, Jury, and Executed

**Welcome back to Silent Hill Sunday. Today, we finish the fight with the twisted version of Spyro. I don't think I have to say any more. Oh, wait I do. Don't be surprised if this chapter is fairly short. Now with that out of the way, let's get going!**

Our story resumes in darkness, with only the faintest light from the massive hole in what was the floor of a courtroom. Littering the new cavern are piles of dead bodies, the monsters from each previous area. But two souls still stir. One, a familiar black dragoness. The other, a twisted version of a familiar purple dragon.

Yes, Spyro and this twisted Spyro survived the fall. As the two get to their feet, the twisted Spyro observes the room of now deceased monsters, while Cynder just holds her head from the blow.

"Spyro": Even now, you prove your own guilt.

Cynder: Excuse me?

"Spyro": You have always been surrounded by the dead. And even after you already killed these poor souls, your guilty conscience revives them, just so they could die again. Everywhere you go, death follows you like your own shadow.

Cynder: What happened to these poor people was tragic. I'm not denying that. But I wasn't in control of my own mind at the time. Despite that, I still regret each and every life taken by my claws.

"Spyro": (Picking up his blade) So you trap yourself here to punish yourself for sins you claim are beyond your control.

Cynder: That's the current theory.

"Spyro": (Swings his blade around attempting to destroy Cynder) THEN I WILL FULFILL YOUR DESIRE!

This twisted Spyro continues to swing his blade around, and Cynder continues to deftly dodge each time.

"Spyro": YOU WANTED AN EXECUTIONER, NOW YOU HAVE ONE! I WILL SEE TO IT YOU NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE ALIVE!

Unphased by the impact of falling who knows how far through a hole in the courtroom's floor, this twisted Spyro goes on a rampage, attempting to destroy Cynder. But with renewed confidence, Cynder dodges each attack. But after a few moves, the madness in this twisted Spyro becomes evident.

"Spyro": DIE, DIE, DIE!

Now the twisted Spyro begins charging blade first. Now Cynder is getting a little bit more scared as his attacks are getting more savage. But it doesn't stop her from dodging every blow. And when Spyro is forced to rest by his own exhaustion, Cynder gets an idea.

But before she can finish formulating the plan, this twisted Spyro prepares another attack. Cynder dodges the first four hits, but on the fifth, she grabs the blade by the flat, flips it out of this evil Spyro's hands, grabs the handle, and rams it right into the false Spyro's chest.

As the false Spyro slowly acknowledges the fatal injury, Cynder releases the blade and falls to her side in exhaustion, only able to stand a little bit.

"Spyro": (Looking in Cynder's direction) Impossible…

Cynder: (Through exhausted breaths) Try very possible.

"Spyro": You sought an executioner… and then you killed them…

Cynder: You're not dead yet. Something tells me you'll return several times in the future.

"Spyro": (Chuckles) I may not have killed you now. But I'll get you yet…

At this point, the twisted and false nature of this Spyro fades away, revealing the real Spyro underneath.

Cynder: Spyro? Is it really you this time?

Spyro: As real as I can be in your mind. (Places a paw upon her shoulder) Listen, know this. I hold you accountable for nothing. You were being controlled by the Dark Master. None of those deaths were within your control. (Clasping her paw) And I swear on my life, you will escape from this nightmare. You will find peace and come to terms with your past. And I swear, I will be there with you through it all.

And after those words of encouragement, Spyro, or rather this version of him, fades from this life, leaving the blade behind, which soon erupts into flames, leaving nothing behind but ashes.

Now Cynder, with tears running down her face, steels herself again, preparing to continue on this journey. But before she can leave, a familiar pink glow arises behind her. She had almost forgotten the gem! Now, having picked it up, Cynder prepares to carry on, wondering of course how to get out of this hole.

But then, as if by magic, the light of the gem reveals a secret passage, leading back to the surface. As she progresses toward the surface, our view stays slightly behind, as we hear the same voice from before, supposedly that of Cynder's mother, calling to her.

Mysterious Voice: Come to me, my child… I will show you the way to escape this nightmare…

But as we hear the voice calling to Cynder, we resume with her on the surface. The four lights still showing her destination far into the fog.

Cynder: Well then, here we go.

As Cynder presses on into the fog, she fails to notice something. The convergence of the four beams of light reveals only darkness, and a very familiar, and very sinister, silhouette showing through it, calling out with the same voice…

 **I think I will leave it there for today. So, it appears there may be more to the mysterious possibly maternal voice than we thought. But now the question comes, who's silhouette are we seeing? I'll never tell, today that is. Now to update the countdown, from this point forward, there are only four chapters remaining in this story. So sadly, the next chapter will begin unveiling the identity of this game's final boss. Enjoy this tale while it lasts, as it ends soon. So, what is Cynder walking into? To find out, tune in for the next chapter. Same time… same channel… same mystery. See you next week…**


	22. Red Skies at Morning

**Welcome back to Silent Hill Sunday, and welcome to the final month of Silent Hill Sundays, as by the end of July, this story will be sadly concluded. But today, we have to focus on moving forward, as we are nearing the end of this nightmare. Last time, that twisted version of Spyro that had been following Cynder throughout this nightmare had been defeated, and now Cynder progresses towards destiny, whatever it may be.**

Our story resumes where we once were, back on Silent Hill's ever misty streets, but something is… off, about this town. The buildings are now at their greatest point of disrepair, to the point where even the slightest breeze could topple one.

Cynder: (Noticing this) I guess I was the most recent person trapped in here.

As soon as she said that, the mysterious voice begins to speak again.

Mysterious Voice: Indeed, young one. This place was a prison for many, repurposing itself to torture each of them. But eventually, it stopped being used. Nobody knows why.

Cynder keeps walking onward through the crumbling ruins of the town. But that is when things get strange, as it appears the buildings are moving around, shifting their positions, as if to trap Cynder in a loop.

Cynder: (Noticing the moving buildings) Okay, this is getting freaky. What's happening here?!

The ever shifting town continues to move, taking roads apart and moving buildings into her path. Cynder, still holding the gem from before, realizes she is trapped.

Cynder: What the…

Now, a chorus of strange voices, unknown to Cynder or any of us for that matter, begin to chant in Cynder's general direction…

Voices: Never leave… never leave… never leave…

The voices are coming from everywhere, in every building, beneath every street, in every nook and cranny of Silent Hill these voices echo their message. In a state of panic, Cynder keeps looking back and forth between the buildings, trying to find the source of these voices. Even though she knows it's all in her head, this is still enough to drive anyone crazy.

But then, as if sent by some divine something or other, a flash of swirling lights consumes the scene, stopping the chanting, but once Cynder can see again, things are… odd. The town is now set in an eerie reddened sky, and to top it off, some pieces of the town are floating everywhere despite being back where they used to be and in a better state of repair.

Cynder: (Noticing the strange surroundings) Okay, this place is getting really bizarre.

Mysterious Voice: This place realizes you are holding back a deep fear. So, it has adjusted itself to become it.

Cynder: (Realizing what it has become) Convexity…

Now Cynder traverses this Convexity recreation, seeing buildings floating and falling endlessly, eventually coming to what looks like some kind of dock.

Cynder: Wait a second, this town has a lake?

Mysterious Voice: You are so close, little one. The answers you seek lie just beyond this dock.

Cynder: How am I supposed to get to you?! There's no boat!

At this point, pieces of what look like streets and buildings start to surface from the lake, a genuinely impossible feat.

Mysterious Voice: Come to me, my little one…

Not trusting the floating pieces of street that much, Cynder steps off of the dock and onto the asphalt and rebar platform, and as she settles her full weight onto the platform, it does not sink.

Mysterious Voice: This seems impossible, but these platforms will support you… Come to me… the answers you seek are at the path's end…

Now realizing she is closer to escaping than ever, Cynder, filled with determination, jumps across the platforms, with each slowly sinking behind her as she leaps from one to another. Eventually, Cynder turns around and notices this.

Cynder: (Seeing the platforms behind her sinking) Well then, I guess there's no going back now.

Cynder continues to leap across the platforms, still hearing the mysterious and seemingly maternal voice beckoning her to come to her. Eventually, the mist begins to clear up and an island rises from the lake, with a structure on it. The structure is indeterminable from Cynder's distance, but gets clearer as Cynder gets closer.

After Cynder leaps to the island from the last platform, we finally see what this structure is. It appears to be some kind of church. But as Cynder steps forward towards the door, the sky turns from a slightly red night to a blood red dawn. Cynder is too focused on the fact that she's staring at a church to notice this.

Cynder: Why? Why does it have to be a church? Why does every piece of my misery have to be linked to a church!?

But now, the mysterious voice begins to speak again, from within the church.

Mysterious Voice: Come to me, my little one… that which you seek is within. I know churches are places of misery for you. Your lair was once a church, as you know, before it became a site of death and misery… But now you must face your fears, enter… and claim that which you seek…

Cynder looks upon the structure, which in the shadow looks almost exactly like her old fortress at Concurrent Skies, but very clearly isn't. Cynder's fears hold a small grasp over her, preventing her from entering the building. But after a few minutes of calming breaths, she steadies her nerves, grasps the handle of the door, opens the large church doors, and steps in…

 **I think we'll end it there for today. I don't usually think Cynder's Lair in Concurrent Skies used to be a church, but it seems every Silent Hill game has a church in it, so this was a good way to integrate it. And I couldn't forget Silent Hill's lake, now could I? So how better to integrate those famous locations than to merge them into one single location? I think it works, but that's a matter of opinion. Anyway, from this point, there are only 3 chapters remaining in this story before it all concludes. But in the meantime, it appears the source of this mysterious voice resides within this church. So, who's is it? Is it really Cynder's mother, or… something else…? I will say this, next week, the true answer will be revealed. To see this revelation first hand, tune in next week. Same time… same channel… same horror. See you next week…**


	23. The Ultimate Foe

**This tale of Silent Hill ends soon. This story will end before the month does, but we are now in the final moments, the final enemy of Cynder's will soon be revealed. So, who is it? Read on to find out…**

Our story resumes on the inside of the church from before, just as Cynder opens the massive doors and enters the normally sacred and safe location. Normally, that is, except for here…

The room appears bathed in a violet light, as in the center, shining forth up through the steeple, stands a pillar, akin to the Altar of Convexity. Fitting, as Cynder now walks towards it, with the same gem from before.

Cynder: (Recognizing the structure) I'm not liking the déjà vu here…

Just as Cynder nears the altar, an almost angelic figure emerges seemingly _from_ it, landing in front of Cynder. This is the source of the mysterious voice…

Voice: At long last, you have arrived. Please… come closer. Such determination to get here, in the face of such adversity… I am so proud of you, my little one… Now you shall have the answers you seek…

Cynder: (With a small tear forming in each eye) Tell me, is it true? Are you really my mother? Why are you here?

Voice: Your self-hatred over your past brought you here, but you've already figured that out. A dark force exists here, intending to drive it's host mad through their own sorrows… Many have passed through here, none have emerged the same…

Cynder: But then why are you here?

Voice: To guide you… to show you the path out of this nightmare. (Gesturing to the crystal) That gem was my means to bring you here… to me. And it is still the key to your escape.

Cynder: How?

Voice: Give the gem to me, and I will show you.

At last in a place of peace, Cynder drops the gem, allowing it to somehow levitate towards the figure… who begins to laugh the moment it's in her clutches.

Cynder: Wait, what's so funny…?

Voice: (Ceasing her laughter) If only it were that easy, little one…

Now the figure begins to laugh again, and the entire room changes, vines of dark energy form along the crumbling walls and all the lights turn as blood red as the sky outside. But perhaps the most prominent change is to the figure who started all this. As she laughs, the angelic façade begins to fade revealing the truth. This is no angelic guide, this is Dark Cynder…

Cynder: What's going on?!

Dark Cynder: Did you really think that your mother was going to save you?! Not on your shortened life. She was never here, in fact, we likely killed her. And now, you have just given me what I need.

Cynder: (Terrified) I don't understand!

Dark Cynder: Ever since that purple whelp defeated us, I have been trapped in your subconscious. But now, with this gem, I will escape this netherworld, and continue my master's work, while you will be trapped here, permanently!

As Dark Cynder begins to laugh, Cynder at first looks on in horror, but as soon as she realizes what was just said, her look turns to anger.

Cynder: I've gone through too much hell to just let you win! I won't let you ruin my life any longer!

Dark Cynder: (Laughing) You really think you can defeat me?! I think you fail to notice something, little one. THIS IS MY REALM! If you think you can just defeat me on my own turf… (Now in a more demonic voice) You've got another thing coming.

Just as she finishes that sentence, Dark Cynder begins to change. Mostly due to numerous spikes emerging from along her back and shoulders. But in addition, her horns become almost ram-like, and her eyes go full yellow as the crystal turns blood red and settles around her neck

Dark Cynder: Prepare to die!

Now Dark Cynder rushes into a fury of attacks, which normal Cynder manages to dodge, but to little avail, as eventually Dark Cynder gets a hit, causing Cynder to bleed, unlike anything the others did.

Dark Cynder: (Laughing) You thought I was just another illusion?! Think again, little one. I am very real, and every time I strike you, you fade a little more, and I slowly begin to take over.

Keeping this in mind, Cynder returns to the fray, continuing to dodge strikes from her dark counterpart, and much more carefully this time, as she doesn't want to fade from existence after all. It only takes a few near misses and scrapes that Cynder manages to deliver a blow to this monster's only weak point, the very gem she surrendered to it.

Cynder: So that's where to hit.

Now knowing where to strike back, Cynder renews her battle against her dark counterpart, and after a few well-placed strikes, Cynder shatters the gem around Dark Cynder's neck.

Dark Cynder: NO!

As soon as the gem shatters, the winds pick up and the roof is ripped off the church. But perhaps the most prominent change is seen as we switch our view back to the main town. A portal, eerily similar to the entrance to Convexity, appears over the main part of Silent Hill.

Dark Cynder: The portal!

Cynder: That must be the way out of this hell!

Almost as if on cue, Cynder takes off towards the portal, knowing it's her one way out.

Dark Cynder: I won't let you escape!

And just like that, Dark Cynder takes off after Cynder, fully intending to destroy her.

 **And I think I'll leave it here for this week. Now, only 2 chapters remain before the story is over. Now let's be honest for a moment, you all probably could have guessed that Dark Cynder would be Cynder's final foe. Who else could have been Cynder's ultimate foe in a world based in her own fear and self-loathing. However, fooling Cynder into believing the voice guiding her was her mother's? Now that's just cruel. As one final challenge before the story ends, there are two references in Dark Cynder's final design. If you can find them, let me know. I will reveal them at the end of the next chapter, the penultimate chapter. So now the race to escape is on. Who will emerge victorious? Tune in next week to find out. Same time… same channel… same peril!**


	24. Wake Up

**Now we return to Silent Hill, for the penultimate chapter of our tale. Last time, Cynder had started her face off with her ultimate foe, herself. As the battle raged, the gem Cynder had been carrying this whole time was destroyed, opening a portal out of this nightmare realm. As Cynder flew off towards it, her dark counterpart followed in hot pursuit, attempting to stop her. So how does it end? Also, I apologize if this chapter ends up being a bit short. Let us see…**

The skies are bloody red, a lightning storm rages, and whole pieces of Silent Hill begin float towards the sky as the eerie blueish violet portal begins to draw in matter around it. But soon, a small black dot appears on the horizon.

Cynder continues her flight towards the portal, her one escape from this hellish realm. But following behind her, Dark Cynder.

Dark Cynder: You will not escape me!

At this moment, Cynder looks behind her and sees her ghastly adversary following her. Silently resolving to escape beyond all else, Cynder deliberately flies through a swarm of floating buildings, hoping to distract her diabolical foe.

However, this has the exact opposite effect as Dark Cynder flies _through_ the buildings, rather than over, around, or under them.

Cynder: (Hearing the shattering of bricks) Darn it! I thought that would've worked for sure!

As Cynder's dark counterpart continues to pursue her quarry, whole buildings are knocked out of their floating position as she flaps her gigantic wings. This chase continues for quite a while through the crumbling city of Silent Hill, with buildings, streets, and almost every piece of civic structure destroyed by the fell dragon's flight path, hunting down her prey.

Dark Cynder: Get back here, so I can kill you!

The portal from this nightmare realm draws ever closer to Cynder, as does Dark Cynder. The piercing yellow eyes of this nightmarish being staring daggers into Cynder's very soul without even needing to see her eyes.

As the flight continues, Cynder draws nearer to the portal, until eventually, she's right under it.

Cynder: This is it, no other way out but up!

As Cynder starts her flight straight up towards the center of the portal, Dark Cynder flies in behind, hoping to escape as well.

Dark Cynder: I won't let you escape!

The center of the portal draws nearer, and Cynder can almost see the real world on the other side. The Temple, The Guardians, Spyro, everything. But as if this nightmare refuses to let her go, Dark Cynder comes up right behind her, just enough to bite her by the tail and drag her back down to hell, but doesn't for some reason.

Dark Cynder: Run all you want, Cynder! It won't help you! I am a part of you! I am the darkness within you! I am the monster that will haunt you until the end of your days! YOU WILL NEVER GET AWAY FROM ME!

It's then in a moment of frustration, Cynder starts to yell back at her dark counterpart.

Cynder: You think I don't know that?! I do, but if I can't make peace with myself, I'll be nothing but a shell of who I can be. And I won't let you do that to me any longer!

With her feelings towards this darkness in her very soul expressed to the world, Cynder continues to climb in altitude nearing the center of the portal. And once the center is in view, she sees her sleeping form in the middle of it, tears still streaming down her face.

Knowing she won't be able to exit the portal while she's still asleep, Cynder has no choice but to yell out to her conscious mind, with Dark Cynder continually bearing down on her, ready to drag her back into hell.

Cynder: Cynder! Listen to me! You have to wake up! The only way this nightmare, and all this sadness will end is for you to wake up! You don't need to punish yourself anymore! Your destiny is out there, for you to find. But you won't be able to find it if you keep punishing yourself in this nightmare realm! You have to go, find your destiny, shake off the shackles of the past! You have to wake up! You must wake up! WAKE UP!

And just like that, the scene is engulfed in a white light, and as suddenly as it appears, everything cuts to black…

 **And that is where we will end it for today. Next week, sadly, will be the finale of this story. One more chapter, an epilogue, to close off the tale. If Cynder's lines to her sleeping self at all sound familiar, they should. That was a modified version of Cynder's lines to Spyro before she flees the Dragon Temple in The Eternal Night. Now, I do remember saying the design Dark Cynder takes in the nightmare realm has two major influences, and that I'd tell you what they were today. Well here they are. The first is Malefor as he appears in Dawn of the Dragon, which is the majority detail. But the other involves the gem, which turned red as it settled on her neck. This is a reference to how Cynder would have appeared in the cancelled Legend of Spyro Movie, where a red gem around Cynder's neck is what kept her under the Dark Master's control. Now then, what happened here? Is Cynder dead? Did Dark Cynder drag her back into Silent Hill? Tune in next week, for the finale, to find out. Same time… same channel. See you next week…**


	25. Epilogue

**The time has come. Our Silent Hill tale has reached it's end, or rather, it will after today's update. It's kind of sad to see this tale go, after putting so much work into it. But, all good things must come to an end. Now, when we left off, Cynder was flying into the portal out of Silent Hill, followed by her dark counterpart, trying to get her real-world self to wake up and let her out. But all ended with a cut to black. Please note, this chapter will be** _ **much**_ **shorter than the rest, as it's just a quick conclusion. So what happened? Read on to find out.**

Our story resumes where it left off, on nothing but darkness. But in the distance, we can hear what sounds like speech, a faint cry if you will. But then it gets more defined…

Voice: You have to wake up! You must wake up! WAKE UP!

With that final cry, reality finally settles in, and we see Cynder, startled awake from the nightmare she just had.

Cynder: What on…? (Realizes what happened and sighs) Thank goodness, it was just a nightmare.

At this point, Cynder notices the floor is wet with tears, not to mention her own eyes are red from all the crying.

Cynder: But then again, it was so vivid, there had to be some reality to it.

Now Cynder looks up at the skies, then back around the temple, and finally back up at the statue in the center of the room, knowing it's ever familiar face. Then she remembers something she had heard during this nightmare.

Cynder: Maybe, there was a point to that nightmare. To get me to cast off the shackles of the past.

And in that moment, it dons on her.

Cynder: As much as I'm thankful to Spyro for freeing me from the Dark Master's control, I still haven't freed myself. (With that same determination in her eyes) But now, it's time I did. My destiny is out there, somewhere. And I'm going to find it.

And with that, Cynder runs towards the exit of the Temple, running off into the night, little realizing a familiar golden light is watching from behind the statue. Of course, it's Sparx.

Sparx: She's leaving? (Quietly) Yes! I've got to tell Spyro about this!

 **And sadly, this is where the story ends. Yes, I know this chapter was a bit short, but so was the Prologue to be fair. And I feel a short moment like this speaks for itself, as this moment transitions directly into the events of The Eternal Night. But now, the story has concluded. Cynder has escaped Silent Hill, though the events that unfolded there will never leave her. So, after more than two years of editing including that huge gap in between Dante's Freezer and the rest of the story, I declare Silent Hill: Cynder's Tears finished. Will we ever return to this? Probably not. But I'm sure there's plenty of other stories on this site to give you your Silent Hill fix. Feel free to check out some of my other tales if you need something new to read. Until our next tale, this is Dragon of Mystery, signing out.**


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